King Kronicles

20 months

2012-02-01T21:49:00.001-08:00

My how fast time flies. Owen is in his 20th month and soon he will be a big brother. I find myself soaking up these moments of uninterrupted time with him, wanting to hold on to what we've had with just the three of us, while looking forward to what awaits with the addition of a brother. Owen was made to have siblings, nothing exhibited that more to me than the week we were snowed in together. I'm excited to give him the gift of a sibling, a brother to navigate through life's troubled waters with. Oh the adventures that await, and the fighting, and the wrestling, and the farting...I look forward to watching their lives unfold together. But it's still a few more months till I have to increase my heart's capacity again, so for now I will take the time to chronicle once again my ever growing and changing son.

*Clothes - 18/24 months and some 2T (cloth diapers tend to skew things)
* Nap - 2 1/2 to 3 hrs
*Food - Generally a good eater of all things including fruits and veggies. Bell peppers are a new favorite.

*Activities: All things sports and balls related...I think we're going to have one athletic kid on our hands. He loves to slam dunk on his hoop, play pass with a soccer ball, and learned how to hit a soft ball off a Tee in Colorado.
*When he is interested in something he will repeat the action for quite some time. Tying shoelaces, clipping buckles, throwing snow balls all activities he would do repeatedly.
*Interests: Coloring, saying the sounds of letters, reading books, playing with trucks, rocks, balls - any and all classic boy things. Curious George (which he calls the ooh-ooh show), Thomas the Train, and Winnie the Pooh are all shows he's started being interested in, guess we've moved on from Baby Einstein. The Letter Factory is still you're all time favorite.
* Language: slam dunk, swoosh, hot dog, "there he is," answering yes or no correctly when asked a question, trying to sing the ABC's, identifying sounds certain letters make especially "O" "H" "C" "B" and "S" on his own.

Winter Escape

2012-01-16T19:11:00.001-08:00

This past weekend we decided to go in search of winter. While the temperatures had returned to their frosty lows, the promise of snow actually falling from the sky in Seattle seemed far fetched. Fortunately, our family cabin is nestled in the bosom of winter by this point in the year and the promise of mounds of fluffy white beckoned us.

Lost River

Armed with spontaneity, good food, and the promise of cozy relaxation we embarked on the 4.5 hr drive with our good friends the Pykes. Winter did not disappoint. After digging our way in to the cabin the real adventure began as we "un-winterized" our weekend abode. A fire was quickly made, electric base board heaters turned on, and a prayer thrown up that no pipes had frozen. As the cabin began to thaw it became clear that the pipes were not. Undeterred by the possibility of no running water we began to melt pots of snow on the stove all the while patting ourselves on the back for our resourcefulness (Bear Grylls would have been proud.) We finally turned in for the night hoping that the blazing fire would warm the bones of the cabin and magically allow the water to flow in the morning.

Morning dawned and so did our plans for the day in our winter paradise. Alas, our hopes for hot water were dashed as a pipe to the water heater busted. But, after an evening spent with no water at all (and therefore no toilet - nothing like peeing in a bucket at 7 months pregnant) we gladly accepted the absence for the simple pleasure of running cold water.

After a delicious breakfast we were eager to get our snow clothes on and romp in the freshly fallen mounds of snow. I was particularly excited as it felt like this was Owen's first time in the snow since last year he was so little. Plus, let's be honest, there's nothing cuter than a tiny little person bundled up in so many layers they can barely move their arms.

Marshmallow bear

We were not disappointed, Owen embraced playing in the snow whole-heartedly. I loved watching him ponder the sound of it's crunching and the way it covered his boots as he walked down the road during our afternoon walk. He was so thoughtful, so content to explore the wonders of white surrounding him.

"Helping" shovel

As for sledding, he quickly figured out it is not only an exhilarating activity but also an excellent means of transportation. I could have watched Owen and Josh sled all day, the expressions of joy and excitement permanent upon their faces. While I have loved every month with Owen thus far for different reasons, I think this age is quickly becoming one of my favorites primarily because I get to watch Josh and Owen play together. As we walked the snowy terrain around the cabin, I found myself incredibly excited to introduce another boy in to the mix dreaming of the winters ahead that will be filled with sledding, snow ball fights, and adventuring in this amazing spot.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T22:03:00.000-08:00

I did an absolutely horrible job of documenting Christmas this year. In fact our Christmas morning picture is the only picture I have of all three of us. Nothing says Christmas better than bed-head, pajamas, and sleepy eyes. Oh well, just means I'll have to do a better job next year.

We had 3 celebrations this year due to various siblings not being around for the normal holiday celebration routine. So here are a few highlights:

*Skyping with my brother Joseph who was unable to come home from California. Owen was glued to the computer trying to tell him all about what was going on at my parents house. The best part being when Owen opened his first football from his dear sweet Uncle Joseph. Before showing anyone else what he'd gotten he turned to the computer, held out the ball and said "Whooaa!" I don't think you could have had a more perfect reaction.

*Nanimo bars made by beautiful mother. If Christmas had a taste, it would be her Nanimo bars.

*Our Christmas day celebration with Josh's family was one for the memory books. There was a windstorm which proceeded to blow all the smoke from our glowing Christmas fire back down in to the house. Presents were put down, windows and doors opened wide as we tried to control the smoke and in a final act of desperation Santa Tom came with his snow shovel and carried the remnants of the glowing fire outside.

*Watching three overly blessed little boys play together happily with their oodles of cars, race tracks, and new balls.

*Feeling blessed by the thoughtfulness of our siblings (Chelsea/Nathan, and Joseph) to send presents despite their absence.

*Ultimately, my favorite part of Christmas has nothing to do with presents or food but rather feeling grateful that because of Christ we have this holiday at all and the chance to create such wonderful memories. From beginning to end His life was a gift to us.

Boxing Bear

2011-12-25T21:53:00.000-08:00

While celebrating Christmas with Josh's extended family, Owen found these...

About three weeks ago we wouldn't have dared show Owen these gloves as he was testing the boundaries of what hitting means. After a few weeks where hitting, even when playing or pretending, was not an option for Owen he finally grasped the concept and regained control over his hands.

Boxing gloves were a whole new world of fun. Wrestling and punching Daddy without getting in trouble, what could be more fun?

Little people and TV

2011-11-23T21:47:00.000-08:00

These pictures crack me up. Look at those blank stares, slack jaws, motionless boys...it's a sight to behold. On the one hand they make me chuckle as they are so enraptured by the Letter Factory. On the other hand, they are a good reminder to me that TV and movies need to be handled with care at this age, well at any age really. I'm not gonna lie, I appreciate the fact that Owen will sit through a show. It comes in handy now and then when Josh isn't home yet and dinner is needing to be made. I'm sure when baby #2 makes it's grand appearance, there will be days Owen will watch more TV than I care to admit simply as a means of survival. But, these pictures remind me that I want TV to be a treat especially while the world around holds so much intrigue and discovery for my growing little man.

Christmas Craft

2011-11-22T13:43:00.000-08:00

Once again, I have to thank Pottery Barn for yet another fabulous decoration idea.
I scoured the internet for a photo from their catalog but my efforts came up void so my two measly photos will have to suffice. I did alter my banner a bit from Pottery Barn's version, their edges were scalloped and mine are ridged, theirs was adorned with just leaves and I added berries to mine.

So here is my second attempt at a DIY project -

Christmas banner

Materials:
Felt - I purchased one in cranberry and one in cream plus
green for leaves

Letters - Merry Christmas in Times New Romans font size 215

Scissors - I used pinking shears to achieve the ridged look, you'll also need regular sharp scissors
Single Hole Punch
Sharpie Pen
Twine
Berries (optional)
Tacky Glue

1. Rectangles - Lay your felt out flat and cut out 14 rectangles 4x3 inches . Don't worry about the rectangles having perfectly straight edges as the pinking shears will cover a multitude of crooked edged sins. Trim the edges using the pinking shears.

2. Letters - Lay your letters on the rectangles face down (i.e. the white back side of the letter should be what is facing up at you) leaving a wider margin of space at the top, trace around the letters. The purpose of lying the letters face down is so they aren't backwards from the other side. Plus your tracing lines will be on the back side of the rectangle so you don't have to worry about making sure there is no black pen residue. After all the letters are traced cut them out. Once the letters are cut out, punch two holes at the top and center of each rectangle. Thread the rectangles on to the twine in the correct Merry Christmas order.

3. Leaves and Berries - The berries I purchased were from Joanne fabrics sold for $0.50 a bunch and each berry had a thin wire stem. To make the leaves, cut out a small eye shaped oval from the green felt. Place a dot of glue on one end of the oval and pinch the sides of that end together. After the glue has dried thread the "stem end" of two leaves on to the berry wire pushing it up to kiss the base of the berry. Twist the leaves so there is one on each side of the berry. (I made 7 of these by the way = 7 berries and 14 leaves.) Thread the stem of the berry through the two holes of the rectangles, wrapping the stem through the holes a couple of times to anchor to the twine.

Random notes:
- If some of your letters flop you could try starching/ironing the rectangles. I used some clear thread to tack the floppy centers of a few letters to the sides. However my font size was a lot larger and I think the smaller number will help eliminate the flop factor.

- In the pictures I used berries on some squares and leaves on others. After making a few more banners, I decided I liked just having berries on every other rectangle as the twine showing through on the "off" rectangles was a nice contrast.

Stroh family photo shoot

2011-11-12T16:03:00.000-08:00

My sweet Strohs - a family composed of my fabulous and amazing sister-in-law Casey, her handsome and studly husband Micah, and my most precious nephews and niece Jude, Levi, and Naomi.

I have the pleasure, and great challenge, of taking their family pictures every year. I'm sure at some point they will realize there are far better photographers out there than me. But till they decide to shell out the bucks, my trusty ol' camera and I manage to do the trick. (My not-so-secret wish this year for Christmas is a photo editing program that would make my pictures better than they really are.)

Anyway, for whatever reason I meet this responsibility with a certain amount of fear and trepidation every year. Part of it's feeling like there's some one better. The other part is knowing that taking good pictures that are in focus, with the right lighting, and nicely posed (or not) while trying to keep little people happy and clean and looking remotely in your direction is quite a feat.

Thankfully they are family. Thankfully my nephews have irresistible dimples. Thankfully they aren't paying me. All those things together with a gorgeous setting and my photography worries fade away and we come up with some pretty awesome shots...each and every year.

So till you decide to move on to greener pastures Stroh family, I sure do love you.
Thanks for letting me take part in documenting your ever growing
and awesome family and for giving me the opportunity
to do something I truly enjoy.

P.S. My fabulous mother-in-law was a wonderful asset to this year's photo shoot. Nothing like an extra set of hands to corral little boys or someone to say a silly smile inducing saying.

Halloween

2011-11-12T11:52:00.000-08:00

For some reason or another I'm feeling rather uninspired by this post. I don't know if it's the lack of pictures or what, but it's probably because I'm over Halloween, and am really excited about the holidays I actually find worth celebrating-Thanksgiving and Christmas.

But for memory's sake, this was Owen's first experience at Northshore's Harvest Carnival. A community event that fills the halls of the church with copious amounts of costumed children, giant inflatable toys, candy and carnival like games. For the most part Owen was overwhelmed; however, once we found the games that required throwing a ball into various holes and targets the happy little man we know and love emerged.

The other portion of Halloween was fairly undocumented thanks to forgetting my camera at my sister-in-laws coupled with my long-standing hatred for our wretched point and shoot. But, the beginnings of a new tradition were born involving two dear families that live close by - the Regans and Izzards. Our children happily screeched their way from house to house down our street fully enjoying the thrill of knocking on the door more than the candy they received. And that's all I have to say about Halloween.

Owen 17 months

2011-10-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

Kissing/holding Naomi with the help of Aunt Casey

A quick post to chronicle my ever changing son
at 17 months:

* Closed mouth kisses. His tiny puckered mouth is so cute. We have a bedtime/nap time routine which always ends with cuddling and singing Jesus Loves Me. Usually he just rests his head on my shoulder and gets sleepy, but this past week he has started turning his face up to mine 3-4 times to give me kisses. Nothing sweeter to melt a mommy's heart than spontaneous kisses from your little boy.

*Owen continues to LOVE infant babies. I have a feeling when his sister or brother shows up there will be no shortage of kisses and hugs, smothering is probably an appropriate word for what will happen to his sibling.

*Trying new words, Spanish and English, he will actually try saying a word when prompted by us.

*A growing list of words: cup (cuck), kick, ball (no more ba-ba...sad day), ni-night, adios, hello, gracias, all done,
Pop, Woah!, snack, and lots of new animal sounds including - horse, chicken, cow, duck. It's amazing to see how all of a sudden new sound combinations/words pop up.

*His favorite book is by Eric Carle (I can do it, can you?) which I'm going to have to purchase since it was a library book. I actually watched him search through his book basket to find it only to have to tell him we'd just returned it to the library.

* He is still OBSESSED with any kind of ball; balloons are an ever exciting sorce of entertainment. Trucks and tractors are starting to hold his interest, but he'd still take a ball over a truck any day...although watching the garbage truck with Nana every Wednesday is a highlight of the week.

*Singing is one of the sure fire ways to change a diaper easily or calm him down. His current favorite songs are: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (and consequently the ABC Song), I may never march in the infantry, Old McDonald had a farm, the frog song.

*He has 4 molars, four teeth on top and four on bottom.

*Still in 18-24 month clothing.

*Wrestling with Daddy is becoming a nightly activity. I can tell he's starting to need this interaction with Josh daily.

Owen and one of Pops carrots.

Thanks Pottery Barn!

2011-10-18T16:02:00.000-07:00

The holidays are coming and my mailbox is quickly filling with lovely seasonal catalogs from stores tempting me to spend my precious dollars on silly decorations that are over priced. With that said, there's nothing more I'd love to do than decorate my house like crazy for each season that comes. However, my practical side just can't ever find a reason to rationalize spending the money that this kind of decorating suggests.

While perusing through the Pottery Barn Kids catalog I came across this lovely jewel - A Thanksgiving Countdown Calendar.

Each day has it's own pocket to fill with things you are thankful for. I was in love and dreaming of what a fun tradition this could be with our kids in the future. Then I looked at the price tag and my dreams came crashing back to reality...$70 dollars are you kidding me?
Then it hit me, I could make my own, or attempt anyways. So thank you Pottery Barn, for being soo expensive that I'm forced to be creative!

Hope you enjoy my very first DIY project:

Thanksgiving Countdown Calendar

Supplies:
5-6 different remnants of fall colored fabrics (They sell samples of 1/4 yds of fabric at Joanne's for $1-2)
1/2 yd brown felt
1/2 yd yellow felt
1/4 yd red, green and white felt
Crotchet yarn
1 pointy needle with a large threading hole
Tacky Craft Glue
1 leaf cut-out
Lettering (font size 150 and 200)
Chalk (for tracing)

**Disclaimer, I didn't take photos of every single step so use your imagination****

1. LEAVES: Start with the leaves as you will need these to know how big the top of your tree will be. 30 days of November divided by 5 colors of fabrics = 6 leaves in each color. I layered two colors of fabric to speed up the number of times I had to cut and traced my leaf on to the fabric using a sharpie. Then cut them out.

2. NUMBERS: After cutting out all my leaves, I began on the numbers alternating fabrics as I traced. After cutting out all the numbers I used Fabric Stitch to glue the numbers in the center of the leaves and laid them out to dry.
Here is my chart for how many I needed of each number:
1 (12x)
2 (13x)
3 (4x)
4 (3x)
5 (3x)
6 (3x)
7 (3x)
8 (3x)
9 (3x)
0 (2x)

3. LEAFY PART OF THE TREE
Lay out all the leaves in a random pattern over the golden yellow colored felt. Following the shape of your leaves, cut around the outside row of leaves.

Beginning to cut around the leaves...

...finished "leafy" portion of the tree.

4. TREE TRUNK
Lay out your brown felt, place the "leafy" tree portion over top of the trunk felt. I left about a 4-5 inch "seam" for branches.
Using a piece of light colored chalk draw out the shape of the trunk.
The top of the tree trunk I drew five branches, some of which would eventually overlap on top of the leafy portion of the tree. Even the branches that went under the yellow felt, I left a one inch seam to glue to the leafy portion.

5. TREE BASE
Using your green felt, place the trunk on top and trace the shape. Make the base a few inches wider on either side of the tree base (my picture below doesn't show this fyi.) Cut inside the chalk line about a quarter inch, you will need this allowance for stitching the base to the trunk. After cutting out the base shape, using white crotchet yarn, stitch the base and trunk together (see final picture or lettering picture for an idea of what this look likes.).

6. LEAF POCKETS
(You could do this step before cutting out the trunk, but I chose not to as I didn't know where my branches would lay on top and which leaves would lay on top of the branches.)
Using Tacky glue, fix the leaves to the felt. Make sure not to glue the upper portion of the leaf otherwise you will not have a pocket for your thankfulness notes.

7. LETTERING

For the lettering, I printed off the saying "GIVE THANKS"
in several different sizes of font. Cut out the paper samples, use your trusty sharpie to trace the letter face down on to the felt, and cut out the fabric letters. Then using your Tacky glue, glue them to the trunk.

The next part is optional, since the word THANKS was larger I used my crotchet yarn again to stitch the letters on to the trunk.

8. HANG AND ENJOY
You did it! Now find a lovely place on your wall so when November comes you can start the thankfulness party! This part is still not finished on mine, since the tree is rather floppy, I'm going to find a thin dowling rod to attach to the back of the leafy portion and base on the tree to help with the flop factor. I'm also going to sew on a string at the top to hang the tree from instead of using 2 million tacks.

Dress Up!

2011-10-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

Naomi Constance Stroh
9.26.2011

Meet my sweet little niece Naomi. She is one week old today. Last week she was making her debut, an event I had the immense pleasure of being a part of, tears of joy welling in my eyes as I watched my strong, courageous and beautiful sister-in-law bring her into this world. My role is a quiet one, to capture those moments of the birth process that are so inspiring, so tender, so full of emotion. This time around was just as precious as it was when Levi was born. I planned on posting some of those photos, but then today happened...

For her inaugural one week old celebration, Casey decided to introduce Naomi to the wonderful world of dress up. It just so happened to coincide with the newborn photo shoot I was about to engage in - perfect. What is more precious than a tiny naked baby girl with a flower adorning her head and pearls draped across her chest? Nothing, I tell you, nothing is more precious than that.

Tiny sweet Naomi, I so look forward to all things princess and ballet with you in the years to come. What fun it will be to watch you bring a sparkle to this boy filled family. Having grown up amidst all things boy, I will make sure you have an appreciation for fort building, Legos and snakes but make your girlie mark sweet girl for it is priceless and beautiful.

Love,
Tia

Two Pink Lines

2011-09-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

Two pink lines showed up on a test five weeks ago!
Being someone with "female issues" thanks to a condition called PCOS, taking pregnancy tests is something I emotionally steal myself against knowing that most likely my body is just being dumb and I am not actually pregnant. So when those two pink lines show up it usually takes a few minutes for it to sink in, this time was no different.

If I am honest, August was a hard month for me. Back in the spring I had gone to a women's retreat with our church where I felt the Lord challenge me to finally let go of the worry of having more children. The phrase that kept coming to mind was "It is finished" and I felt so at peace with the future of our family knowing that God was in control. Then I missed a period, then I had a six week long period, then my body was crazy, then I thought I was pregnant and three tests came out negative, then the doubts crept back in. So August was a month filled with tears, with anxious dreams and fitful nights, with daily battles to keep my head above water and trust in all that God had spoken to my heart a few months prior. It was a long month and I often felt torn as I wrestled with questioning the promises I had been given.

At the very end of August I started feeling hungry, waking up in the middle of the night to eat handfuls of almonds, and waiting all day long for dinner to come so I could finally feel full. A quiet hope built in me that I was pregnant but I pushed it off thinking it was too good to be true. On September 7th, two pink lines showed up and relief washed over me, I wasn't crazy I was pregnant!

Three weeks later I walked in to the doctors office excited to see the tiny little dot that was our baby. I told my health saga to the nurse practitioner warning her I was pretty confident that I was only 6 weeks along, not 11 like my last period date suggested. She was gracious and supportive saying that we'd just change the due date once she was able to measure the size of the baby on the ultrasound. What popped up on the screen was a little gummy bear NOT a tiny blueberry sized baby, with kicking arm and leg nubbins. I was in awe watching it bounce around on the screen. After a few clicks of the mouse the nurse practitioner chuckled and said, "Well you're definitely farther along than six weeks, you're actually 10 1/2 weeks!" I could not believe it, and as I looked back at everything I went through emotionally in August it made sense, I was pregnant the whole time!

With that said, I am grateful for the month of struggle I went through because I needed to wrestle and question all that I did with the Lord. Now I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is powerful to heal and faithful to provide regardless of my wandering heart. But besides that, I'm also grateful I skipped out on almost 5 weeks of being pregnant...every woman should get to have that experience it's exhilarating! I'm also glad I'm not crazy, my pants were starting to feel tight and when I stepped on the scale at the doctors office I had gained three pounds. "Three pounds in six weeks and tight pants already, I know you show earlier with your second but I'm doomed" I thought to myself. Thankfully it was all just because I was farther along than I thought.

A New Skill

2011-09-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

Owen has learned a new skill - the art of blowing on things. He first caught on to this new found effect when I stumbled across a field of dandylion puffs while at a rest stop on our long drive home from the cabin. He of course found it hilarious every time the puff of seeds flew gracefully in the air. This last week while out on one of our daily strolls down the street, we discovered our very own patch of dandylion puffs. With no hesitation Owen quickly grabbed one in his chubby hand, yanked, and brought the puff to his mouth to blow on. Unfortunately, between the yanking and pulling the puff ball was pretty much decimated before it ever reached his eager puffed out cheeks. I quickly snatched him up, headed to our yard with a few carefully selected puff balls, grabbed my camera and snapped away as his hand again at puffing away. He was in heaven...till he discovered that the seeds stuck to his lips!

Just because....

2011-09-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

....sometimes we need to look at things from a different perspective.

Story Time

2011-09-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of being the only nephew at this point is the bounty of laps upon which to sit and read books. Owen loves to read and took advantage of both Aunt Theresa and Uncle Joseph for multiple story time sessions.

For Aunt Julie - Dirt and rocks

2011-09-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

Owen and I would like to dedicate this post to Josh's Aunt Julie. Aunt Julie is one of those people who lives too far away and every time we see her it is not long enough to soak up all that is wonderful about her. She is quick to laugh with a brilliant mind and an incredible gift for teaching. I am amazed by the insight of her questions and the fact that she always leaves you with the feeling that you are never far from her mind even when the months go by. So Aunt Julie, this ones for you. Thank you for being one of my biggest blog fans and for caring so much about us! We love you!

For Labor Day weekend we treked across the North Cascades with my brother Elias, his wife Theresa and my brother Joseph, to one of our favorite spots on earth, our tiny little cabin in the woods. This is the first time that we've been over to Mazama since Owen started walking. I was so excited to see him begin to discover the many wonderful things the cabin has to offer, knowing full well that he would be in heaven. Lets just say he was covered from head to toe in dirt for three straight days and would probably still be sitting in the dirt if we'd let him. Honestly, I was tempted to take the same pictures every day just to chronicle the fact that the outfit may have changed but the activity did not. After eating breakfast we'd put Owen in his "play clothes" and head outside with his trusty orange shovel in hand. After setting him on the ground, he would take one maybe two steps before his tiny tush would be heading towards the ground. The rest was history, he barely moved from his location, content to heap dusty dirt, pine cones, and rocks upon his legs, shoes and head.

The other favorite daily activity of our four day weekend was trips to the river to throw rocks. I wish that I had some pictures from my brothers camera of our evening re-enacting one of our favorite childhood activities- throwing boulders off the bridge and watching the huge splash that ensued. Owen was mesmerized by the effect his rock throwing had from the bridge.
Most afternoons and evenings were more low key, sitting on the banks of the river throwing pebbles into the icy waters or watching the "big boys" skip smooth stones across the river. Owen's rock throwing routine is much the same as his digging in the dirt routine: shovel in hand, take a few steps, sit down, and don't move for the next hour. It's honestly amazing to me sometimes how focused he can be when doing something he loves.

It was such a joy to see the cabin through Owens eyes for the first time. I look forward to the years ahead as he discovers "lizard rock," ant hills, fishing with Daddy, and the magical world of imagination and adventure the forest holds.

Owen lately

2011-08-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

Mr. Owen is 15th fabulous months old. He is like a good wine (not that I would know since I'm allergic) he gets better with age...is that bad that I just compared my toddler to an alcoholic beverage? Anyway, since I'm no longer doing a month by month account of his life in his baby book, I need to write a few things down so I don't forget the wonderful and funny things about him at this time. So, if you're interested continue on, if you're not, just look at his cute pictures and move on.

*Walking, walking walking - He started taking steps on his own in June, by Father's day he was getting pretty confident, by July he was was in the Franken-baby stage arms held out in front. August came and its so easy to forget that not too long ago he was barely even crawling.
*Due to the walking he has lots of bumps and bruises adoring his forehead and legs at all times.
*He has learned how to climb...yikes! I now have to barricade the fireplace upstairs because I found him standing up inside of the chimney in pursuit of his ball.
*He crawls up and down the stairs.
*Balls are his most favorite source of entertainment he loves to kick them, throw them, and make stools and counters in to basketball hoops.
*He thinks leaping off the ottoman into a pile of couch pillows is pretty much the best thing ever.
*He loves to read books
*He plays so well by himself.
*He is dropping his morning nap, which is both exciting and sad.
*He goes to bed at 7:30p.m. and sleeps till 7:30 a.m. like a rock.
*No more binky as of last week.
*He weighs 24 lbs and is 33 inches tall (50% for weight, 95% for height...the Carlson genes live on!)
*He loves trying to feed himself and is getting particular about wanting his food to be properly served from a plate or a bowl.
*He thinks he can talk and carries on all sorts of unintelligible conversations with us.
*Words he says: Mama, dada, adios, hello, ball, dog (sounds like duck), uh-oh
*He tries to roar...it's hilarious.

Playing basketball...he made this up himself.

"Roaring"

Showering Naomi

2011-08-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

In about a month, give or take a few weeks, I'm going to be an Aunt again to the sweetest, cutest, (most likely) chubbiest, little girl there ever was. Since she is the first girl grandchild it was very important to throw Casey a girly pink shower. Myself and two of Casey's best friends conspired together to throw a hot pink and orange Sugar and Spice themed baby shower, the perfect mixture of girly and sophistication. We had a delightful assortment of cheese, crackers, fruit kabobs, and baked goods along with some fabulous sparkling juices and wines. My house was simply humming with chatting ladies! Later I chuckled thinking about the 10 ladies crammed into the kitchen area around the sink and stove completely oblivious to the fact that there was a fabulous deck a mere 5 feet away with ample room and fresh air. If this had been a "man shower" there is no way you would have found them in the kitchen, they would have been outside in a heart beat.

Anyway, Casey was literally showered with a load of pink clothes and girly accesories. There were a few presents in particular I think all of us were a little jealous of wishing they came in adult sizes. Although let's be honest, it would not be nearly as cute in anything less than miniature size. I think it was safe to say a good time was had by all and Casey was given enough pink things to satisfy her nesting urges for the next day or two. Can't wait to meet you sweet little Naomi!

Priest Lake

2011-08-06T15:47:00.000-07:00

Our final day in Idaho was filled with water and sunshine. The first half of the day is undocumented photographically as I didn't feel like carting one more thing on our hike up to the natural water rock slides. It was a lovely jaunt through the woods, traversing across crystal streams of freezing cold mountain waters. All of us concurred that a hike without water either as it's destination or at least with water along the way is really not worth hiking. This hike was double the fun because it had both!

Anyways, what greeted us at the end of the trail was a granite slope with water cascading over it into glassy pools at the bottom. Appropriate sliding attire is not necessarily attractive but completely functional. Shimmy into a large black garbage bag with holes in the bottom for your legs to poke through then tie it around your midsection and you are ready for the rock water slides!

I was one of the last people in our group to go after watching the technique. The goal was to stay to the left of the "water path" to land in the pool at the bottom, too far right and the only way to stop yourself is to grab on to a rope hanging above your head or risk some serious damage on the way over a mini-waterfall. I figured it'd be no problem, everyone else had gone with out any trouble. Apparently, I figured wrong for where did the water take me but too far to the right. Never in my life have I been so glad to be snatched up by a man I did not know or so grateful that Josh wasn't with us for fear he would die of fright on my behalf. Despite that little bump in the slide down it was super fun!

After our tail bones had had enough we hiked back down to the cars and headed off to Priest Lake. We spent the afternoon dining on a lovely picnic lunch, basking in the warmth of the summer sun, and rejoicing at the refreshment found in the water.

As you can see Owen had a blast. He'd probably still be sitting in the sand at the water's edge, plastic fork in hand digging holes in the wet sand.

Summer Glow

2011-08-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

The picture above seems like something from a home magazine. I say that not because of the quality of the picture, but rather because of the way it glows. Isn't it picturesque? We spent most of our evenings in Idaho outside chatting about the days events as we waited for hot coffee to percolate or outdoor movie watching treats to appear.

That's right, you read that correctly: Outdoor Movie Nights. Could there be anything better? I am here to tell you there isn't. A tray full of delicious delectables, homemade marshmallows (compliments of Theresa's sister Andrea Miller) toasting to perfection over a glowing fire, a large Adirondack chair complete with a cozy quilt and a movie screen hung between two pine trees - the perfect set up for some summer movie fun.

The first evening we watched a childhood classic, Swiss Family Robinson. I think most of us imagined some grandiose adventure as we embarked on hike the following morning. The following night we watched an old Robert Redford classic, The Sting. In reality, I don't think it would've mattered what movie we were watching when you have that kind of environment to enjoy it in.

Magical Light

2011-08-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

Mary Miller has a Harry Potter inspired wand. She has not read the books nor seen all the movies but since she makes so many magical things it only makes sense that she would have a wand. This wand was coveted by two people in my family: 1) My mother - she should probably have a wand, especially now that she has entered "Nana-hood," but for now she will just have to covet Mary Millers. 2) Owen naturally. He did not covet the wand for the same reasons my mother did, but more for the tiny light shining tip. Needless to say this wand was a big hit.

After the magic of the wand had worn off Owen embraced an equally enthralling light bearing object - glow sticks. I wish I'd gotten some better pictures of his exploration with light.

Sweet Summertime

2011-08-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

Priest River, Idaho - a tiny unassuming town in northern Idaho and the birthplace of my sweet sister-in-law Theresa. What would beckon us to pack up the car on a Thursday evening and drive six hours to get there you might ask. The answer would be found in the warmth emanating from the Miller home and the promise of a weekend basking in the sun filled with good food and adventure.

The Miller family are aficionados of fine food and all things home-made. When I say all things, I literally mean ALL. For example, Theresa's father Dan constructed their house from the ground up, every board and nail placed lovingly by his experienced hand. Her mother, Mary, is a sewing and decor master and walking into their house feels a bit like living in an Anthropology meets Pottery Barn wonderland (although more personable because most things are salvaged or hand-made.)

Back yard tent platform made by Mary Miller. I don't think there could be a cooler place to sleep!

Our first day was fairly low key as we awaited the arrival of my parents. We basked in the sun on the deck, assembled the outdoor movie screen which was strung between two trees, and of course enjoyed a some delicious food.

Upon my parents arrival we hopped in the Miller's truck and headed out to float the Priest River, one of my favorite things to do. It was a glorious float, with the perfect amount of sleepy river stretches and patches of thrilling rapids. If time had permitted I would have done that trip at least three more times!

Tackling Papi

Playing ball with Aunt Theresa

Peekaboo!

Sidewalk Chalk

2011-07-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

I have the immense pleasure of watching my nephews once a week.
This past week we decided it was time to introduce our drive way to the wonderful colorful world of sidewalk chalk. Jude and Levi are well versed in the use of sidewalk chalk thanks to their fabulous mother, but for Owen it was a first.
For the most part Owen simply sat and observed his cousins drawing circles around him (literally) and pondered the colorful residue left on his chubby hands and toes. When the boys had tired of drawing circles we moved on to engaging our imaginations...funny how a line of chalk can suddenly change in to a race track. I'm sure this will not be the last time our driveway will be alive with color.

4th of July

2011-07-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

We spent the 4th of July this year up at the King family cabin on Lk Roesiger. For the first time in who knows how many years we were blessed with an absolutely gorgeous and warm 4th. As a result, we spent most of the day outside enjoying the shallows of the lake with shovels, life jackets, buckets and beach attire galore. Owen had a blast and as usual walked fearlessly in to the water to look at the lilly pads totally unfazed by the chilly water.

We spent the day with family and friends and lots of good food and enjoyed a spectacular fireworks show put on by various people around the lake. I'm not kidding you, they are intense about their fire works shows up here. We even saw someone light two fireworks off the top off Mnt. Pilchuck which was totally illegal but also made me slightly jealous of the view they had of all the fireworks.

Summer time Salmon

2011-07-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

A tasty summer dish when a bbq is required and a stove is forbidden.

I made this a week or two ago on a delightful sunny evening.
It perfectly reflected the way I felt about the day and left us feeling full
of delicious summer goodness. I was a little skeptical about trying a new recipe while using my coveted fresh copper river salmon fearful that the unknown would waste my tasty fish. Fortunately, it blew us out of the water with it's light flavor and ease of preparation. The other delightful part is it only requires one dish so clean up is over before you've started really!

Salmon and Veggie Packets
Grilling Book by BH&G
Makes 4 servings

Foil
*4 cups of your favorite veggies chopped in bite friendly sizes
(I used: broccoli, summer squash, red pepper, carrots and onion)
*1 lb of fresh fish in 4 pieces (I used Copper River Salmon)
*1/2 dry white wine or chicken brother
*2 tsp fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried crushed rosemary
*2 cloves minced garlic
*1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 TBSP butter

1. Tear of an two 8 inch squares of foil for each piece of fish. Coat one side of the bottom piece with cooking spray.
2. Divide veggies evenly among the four foil packets. Top the veggies with the fish and squash.
3. In a small bowl combine the wine and spices. Drizzle over the fish and veggies; top each piece with a 1/2 TBSP of butter.
4. Place top piece of foil over fish and secure all four sides making sure there is a bit of a tent like shape in the middle of the packet on top leaving space for the steam to build.

5. For a charcoal grill, grill foil packets on a grill rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12-14 minutes per 1/2 inch thickness of fish or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium, place foil packets on grill rack over heat. Cover; grill as above.

Pillow Wars

2011-07-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

Two cute boys. Big fluffy couch pillows.
The freedom to jump unrestricted.
This is heaven.

Heather Lake

2011-07-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

Summer came to Seattle on July 2nd. It was glorious and not to be wasted. Knowing we had a long weekend with the promise of sunshine ahead of us we intended on taking full advantage of it. First on the agenda was a hike. I bought Josh a fabulous book for his stocking this past year called Best hikes in Western Washington with kids. We perused the pages and settled on Heather Lake off the Mountain Loop Highway.

A moderate 4 mile hike (round trip) ascending through old growth forest, crossing beneath a cascading waterfall, traversing rocky slopes all to arrive at a pristine glacier lake nestled beneath the rocky cliffs of Mount Pilchuck. It was sublime to be outdoors and to see that even with a 24 lb kid strapped to my back I could still breath hiking up that mountain! (Thank you YMCA bootcamp class.)

Owen thought hiking was pretty fun, especially when Josh was behind me on the trail. He would squeal with delight, straining in the baby strap to see his Daddy, as he was certain that Josh's sole purpose in walking behind him was to play his favorite game: "I'm gonna get you..." He also had a blast testing out his own hiking boots once we got to the lake, rocks, mud, sticks, and snow...it was like heaven. I wish the camera had still worked on the way down because about five minutes in to our descent he passed out gripping his favorite stick.

I can't wait for more hikes with my two favorite people.

Cozy cabin day

2011-06-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago we spent the gray rainy June days at the King family cabin on Lake Roesiger. It was a rather impromptu trip and we were so glad that the Bustamante and Izzard families could join us. Generally we meet once a month (sans children) as couples to pray together for our families and marriages, and since our monthly gathering was upon we decided to spend the day together with all our crazy children.

Trying on Daddy's glasses

Since the weather was nothing but wretched we spent the day inside playing games, watching movies (well the kids did), and eating food. It could have been a miserable rainy Saturday in which we pined for warm rays of sunshine but being together turned it into a lovely and delightful day. We are blessed to have such great friends to be with.

A boy and a box

2011-06-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

Our house is older, the kind of old where puke green linoleum (which was discovered under the equally stylish blue linoleum flooring we pulled up in our bathroom) and concrete aggregate benches in front of fireplaces in the living room were considered fashionable. The bathroom flooring was a quick enough fix, the concrete bench however remains in tact.

(Pre-move in shot...I really should do a before and after of our house)

This little bench has one redeeming quality about it- instant seating when company is over. Otherwise, in the world of "life with an almost toddler" it is simply brain damage waiting to happen. Once you add a wooden coffee table with pointy corners in to the mix, the living room transforms into a death trap. Okay, I might be slightly exaggerating BUT, our living room was not a place I felt completely comfortable leaving Owen unattended in for fear that his furniture cruising would end up in some severe facial bruising. So, we finally purchased a leather ottoman in an effort to remove at least one of the pointy obstacles in the room.

The arrival of the ottoman resulted in relief for us and a large box for Owen to play in. It's amazing how something as simple as cardboard can change the rhythm of an afternoon. Owen thought it was glorious, and after a good romp in the box, we flipped it over, cut out some holes in the end and produced an equally entertaining tunnel. Sometimes, it really is the simple things in life.

Don't you wish you had a box?

Moving furniture is tiring.

So sneaky...

There...

it...

goes.

Sunny days chasing the clouds away...

2011-06-07T14:52:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was a momentous occasion for Seattle...it reached 78! Let's be honest, in Seattle 78 is the perfect temperature, it's not too hot nor humid and your non-air conditioned house is still a manageable temperature inside. When it's sunny being outside is pretty much mandatory in this house - enter the first purchase of (what will ineviditably be many) Owen's first kiddie pool. I seriously think this kid could spend the entire day in either the bathtub or his pool. Despite the frigid temperatures the hose water offered, he was in heaven. And until we took pity on his poor little soul and poured two big buckets of hot water in the pool, he was breathless everytime he splashed water over his head. Not gonna lie, it was pretty funny. Did I mention I secretly plan on obsconding Owen's kiddie pool during nap time this summer to sit in the cool waters, read a good book, and chase my version of a tan (i.e. one shade darker than white)? I look forward to what will hopefully be many an afternoon watching Owen enjoy his pool.

Splash with me Daddy!

Hawaii 2 - Splish Splash

2011-05-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

It's official...there are three water loving boys in the family. Thanks to Jude's nifty modern water wings/life jacket apparatus and several baby friendly flotation devices, the pool was frequented every day by our little troupe. Being the conscientious mother I am, I bought Owen his very first pool toy in which he could float...however, I could've just left it at home because all he wanted to do was sit in Levi's floaty and hang on (see picture below.)

The other fabulous part of the "big" non-kiddie pool was the shallow step area. There were three steps several feet in width that gradually got deeper. Owen loved to sit on the top step with his shovels and funnels and splash and splash and splash. The other boys loved them because, true to boy nature, they could jump off them.

Usually our family trips to Hawaii (this is the 3rd I've been on since marrying in to the King family) consist of a lot of beach hopping. Not gonna lie, I kind of liked being weighted down by three little people who demanded we lounge by the pool as they napped and "packing the beach bag" only consisted of snacks and my book instead of all the millions of baby necessities going to the beach requires.

Hawaii Trip

2011-05-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

May 14th, 2011 - The day we have looked forward to for 8 long months. Our trip to Maui began with near perfection (in Josh's mind) as we drove to our rendezvous place to meet the rest of the King/Stroh family with the radio on, Josh looked over and said "Today is the perfect day, I just heard two of my favorite songs (Katie Perry and Taylor Swift) AND we're about to get on a plane to Hawaii." A sure-fire sign that a delightful week was ahead.

With a little uncertainty of how Owen, Jude and Levi would fair on the plane, we put on our seat belts, pulled out bags filled with delicious treats, movies and books all carefully selected for the bribing powers and hoped for the best. All three boys did fantastic! They napped, they read books, they walked up and down the aisle pants-less and lap hopped between all six adults (Me, Josh, Casey, Micah, Tom and Joanne) and before we knew it we landed. On the descent, we hit a fair amount of turbulence which Owen thought was fantastically fun, giggling and laughing as the plane bounced around...suddenly we started thinking it wasn't so bad too.

After all those hours of sitting those boys needed to move. Jude literally pushed Owen in circles as we waited for the rental cars.

And here my cute little bear enjoying his first encounter with fun in the sun!

Birthday Bear

2011-05-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

My sweet little bear Owen has turned one.
As I sit here and reflect on this past year, it's hard to think of another
of my 26 years that matches how every day this past year has been marked so fully and completely by joy-
and I feel as if I have lived an incredibly blessed and joyful life already.

It's amazing to me how multi-faceted love is. There is the love I have
for my Savior, a love that is marked by intimate friendship and a deep sense of gratitude for how he has saved me. There is
the love I have for my husband - sometimes mushy, sometimes steady, and
always filled with wonder at how lucky I am to love and be loved by him.
Then there is this new love I encountered this year when Owen came into my world.
I now better understand how profound Jesus' unconditional love is for me thanks to the
intense and unconditional love I have for my son. There have been tough
days filled with whining and lack of sleep, but more often than not, I fight the urge
to pick him up as I got to bed, to feel his warm snuggly body in my arms one
last time and go to sleep excited to explore the world once again with him.

We spent Mother's Day which was also Owen's 1 year birthday with our families gathered at our house for a birthday/Mother's day brunch. It was a double celebration and we enjoyed being able to share our delight with our wonderful family. What a lucky little boy
Owen is to be surrounded by such wonderful people.

On Becoming Martha

2011-04-29T14:13:00.000-07:00

After years of country hopping and apartment shopping I can say with confidence
that we will be living in one spot for more than a year! (If we're anything like our neighbors, we'll wake up one day and find we've been in the same spot for 30 years!)

With this new found permanency comes the ability and inspiration to decorate! Something that apartments, dorm rooms, and returning to old bedrooms in our parents houses have failed
to do for me. Some how the idea of putting effort in to something so short lived is a waste of energy in my mind.

Today, you will find on my fridge a running list of things I want to do in this fabulous house. Some that are obtainable, some that are way over my head, some that
will actually come to fruition and some that will probably remain a
good idea but will make it no further than that
piece of paper.

Here are two of my first completed projects...I think Martha would be proud (not that I really care what Martha thinks.)

Ruffle Wreath

Painted Wall Paper

We have this odd little room in our house on the main floor.
It has a cut out wall that over looks the stair-well and in to our living room.
We have loved it from the first time we toured our house.
Our vision: An office and reading room. Both of us immediately
envisioned curling up in a cozy chair with a good book when we first laid eyes
on this tiny room.

I knew I wanted to do painted wall paper somewhere in the house and this
room seemed like the perfect spot. To be honest this was a project Josh was not
totally sold on. However, one evening, two afternoon nap-times later, and he is a fan.
Added bonus: It didn't cost me a darn cent!

I am in love with how it turned out and frankly a little sad my project has
come to an end. I ended up keeping one wall void of the pattern
since I'm planning to decorate with maps and vintage feel objects
and thought it would end up feeling too busy if the pattern carried on behind.
All that's missing is that cozy chair and a bookshelf.

Tulip Fields

2011-04-25T21:10:00.000-07:00

April 23rd was the most glorious day of this year yet and we just so happened to have
had a tulip field trip planned. Knowing how crazy it can get up in Mount Vernon,
we decided to leave early to avoid the grid-lock traffic that was bound to occur on
this rare sunny day. Since Owen gets up at 6:30 leaving the house by 8:00 really isn't that hard to do.

With our picnic lunch packed, camera in hand, and shorts stowed in the diaper bag in case it actually got warm enough to use them, we embarked on our weekend adventure.
The tulips were literally glowing, flaming with color as the rays of sun licked their delicate petals.
It was hard to know how to soak up such beauty.

After we had our fill of color and beauty we decided to detour back to the freeway through La Conner. I have never been there before so it was the perfect opportunity to wander the quaint streets and eat our lunch near the waterfront.
It even got warm enough to put shorts on! Last summer Owen was too little to get the
full effect of how cute he looks with just a t-shirt and shorts on. I wish I had my camera to capture his chubby little tummy poking out from beneath his t-shirt...one more reason we are excited for our trip to Hawaii in three weeks!

WEEEE!

2011-04-25T16:17:00.000-07:00

November was the first time Owen's tiny tush sat in a swing.
We could barely push him since he had no clue how to hang on.

Almost six months and a sunny day later, Owen was re-introduced to
swinging. Once his tiny fingers touch those metal chains
his vice-like grip takes over, his legs start kicking, and his
grin gets oh so wide as the swing begins it's gentle flight.

Songs for another season

2011-04-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

When the world has fallen out from under me
I'll be found in you, still standing
When the sky rolls up and the mountains fall on their knees
when time and space are through
I'll be found in you
You make all things new

Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, lead me to the cross

because...

We sing to the One who overcomes
To the One who saves us from our sin
And heals what's broken
Sing to the One who rescues all
We will trust a love so perfectly
complete in Him

We live within a world that fails
With pain we can't control
You sustain us with a love that knows
And we're overwhelmed

So...

Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You can have all this world,
But give me Jesus

Shadowfeet - Brooke Fraser, The One who Overcomes - Phil Wickham, Give me Jesus - Fernando Ortega

Bed-head

2011-04-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Owen had a case of some pretty intense bed-head.

So rather than hoping back in the bath, we changed crazy in to stylish thanks to
some of Daddy's Fiber. Naturally, this prompted a photo shoot from me...I don't know if he can get any cuter.

Owen is now 11 months old. 10 months was the roughest month we've had.
Whining was Owen's primary mode of communication due to his mind being ready to walk
and crawl but his body and coordination not cooperating. 1 week in to 11 months and it looks like the long awaited crawling has come, and hopefully the end of the constant whine.

Despite this past month, Owen continues to be a tender-hearted little boy.
He bursts in to tears when the word "no" is used (apparently I used to do the same thing) so here's to hoping that discipline is as easy as a stern look.

Exploring the Yard

2011-03-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend brought a few glorious days of sun. Since the weeks prior to this have been a constant deluge of rain most of our house projects have been devoted to the inside of the house. So we decided to take advantage of the golden rays and move the "lovely" lava rock the previous owners covered up my future flower beds with.

Last summer Owen was too tiny to enjoy a yard, not to mention we lived in an apartment so grass wasn't even an option. When we finally moved in with my parents gone were the days of sitting on the grass thanks to the weather. So, in reality, this was Owens first real introduction to the wonders of the front/back yard.

I can already tell it's going to be paradise this summer having so much space for him to run around in. I really can't believe that my days of Owen not moving are truly ending. Tonight, he pushed himself up on all fours and started rocking (a skill we were almost certain he might skip altogether)...crawling here we come. He is already a pro at standing and will let go of things for 10 seconds to stand on his own. Something tells me walking is not too far off in the future either!

Owen and Lamby

2011-03-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

Owen recently discovered his squishy stuffed lamb. Last night we invited Uncle Elias and Aunt Theresa
over to have dinner. Since they don't get to see Owen as frequently as we all would like, we kept him up so he could say hi.
His droopy little eyes say it all as to how tired he was, but it was soo sweet to see him snuggle with his Daddy and his little lamb while waiting to give out hugs and kisses.

A Song Revisited

2011-03-08T22:01:00.000-08:00

The Desert Song

This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames

Chorus:
I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon forged against me shall remain

I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

And this is my prayer in the battle
when triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

Bridge:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow

Two years ago this song was a life line for me. Two years ago the first two verses were an expression of my soul. Two years ago I could barely sing this song without crying, (well if I'm honest I still have a hard time getting through it.) Two years ago there were questions with out answers but a recognition and peace that regardless of our situation, I still had a reason to sing and to worship. In church on Sunday, the Lord whispered to my heart "Mary Frances you are in the final verse." Two years later my heart and life are overflowing. Thank you Jesus for your strength, faithfulness and promises.

Pictures of the week

2011-02-10T22:38:00.000-08:00

Couldn't help but post my favorite moments from the week...

Found them lying on the floor reading...melted my heart.

Owen's new favorite thing is to explore the world while standing...he has no idea that leaning too far to one side or the other results in falling.

It's amazing the things that will entertain him: laundry basket + a yo-yo were the winning combination today.

Adventures of a Bath time Bear

2011-02-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

Bath time continues to be one of your favorite things. The anticipation of getting in that warm water is enough to drive you crazy! You love trying to catch the stream of water falling from the faucet as the tub fills. You are brave, sticking your face in the water to blow bubbles. You kick your feet and splash your arms vigorously whether on your back or tummy, I'm not joking when I wonder if you will be an Olympic swimmer some day. You are smart; you've figured out how to roll over both ways with out getting your face wet thanks to an appropriately positioned arm and shoulder. You make me laugh when you get water up your nose and sneeze in to the water with out fail. Bath time is like magic, when teething or having a cold makes you cranky, plopping you in the water makes you forget. Little Bear you are one of the greatest joys in my life.

Spiced Pork and Apricot Stew

2011-02-01T09:50:00.001-08:00

I would like to introduce you to Spiced Pork and Apricot Stew, a recipe I discovered this past fall while perusing through the ever growing folder of recipe pages I have torn from various magazines. This easy jewel of a meal will transport you to Morocco, flavorful without being over-powering with meat so tender you can't help but go back for seconds. You can easily "set-it-and-forget-it" in your crockpot, or toss it all together in a large pot on the stove and simmer for several hours...either way the results are equally delicious with out much work. I have made this stew several times while living with my parents this fall/winter and simply doubled the recipe to accommodate a larger audience.

Spiced Pork and Apricot Stew
Compliments of Real Simple and the kitchen of Mary Frances
Serves 4

* 2.5 lbs boneless pork shoulder or butt, trimmed of fat and cubed
*1 TBSP paprika
*2 tsp ground cumin
*1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
*1/2 tsp cinnamon
*1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
* 1/2 tsp kosher salt and black pepper
*1 medium onion diced
*2 C low-sodium chicken broth
* 1/3 C apricot preserves (I use sugar free)
* 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
*2 TBSP cornstarch
* 1 15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed
* 1/2 C dried apricots, halved
*Extra: your choice of veggies- I've added carrot and cauliflower with success

Cooked Couscous or quinoa, sliced scallions and sliced almonds for serving

In a large Dutch oven, toss the pork with the paprika, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Scatter the onion over the pork.
Add the chicken broth, preserves, and vinegar to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until tender, about 2 ½ hours. (If using a crockpot, set to low)
After simmering time is complete, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and ¼ cup water and stir into the pot along with the chickpeas and dried apricots. Simmer, uncovered, until the cooking liquid is slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes more. Serve over couscous and sprinkle with the scallions and almonds, if desired.

Winterscape

2011-01-04T10:49:00.000-08:00

Frozen Bear

2011 started off beautifully. We got 3-4 inches of snow in one hour the week prior to the New Years arrival which then stuck around for an entire 7 days thanks to a cold snap and clear skies. 3-4 inches may not seem like much to talk about but it's enough to blanket the world in soft white, remind Seattlites of our ineptitude in handling snow (everyone else would have shoveled off the drive and walk ways instead of letting it melt just enough to freeze resulting in the walk to your car becoming a deadly ice skating rink), and definitely encroached on a record for snow sticking around in Seattle. Anyway, we decided to capitalize on our fortuitously good weather and embark on an adventure to bask in Winters beauty chasing those beckoning crystal blue skies.

We spontaneously packed up the car with a baby, all the necessary snow items for both adults and babies (which is a surprising amount of stuff), a younger brother and some sustenance and headed off for Leavenworth. Each turn in the road as we climbed the pass was more breathtaking than the last. Each turn also brought the realization that it was FREEZING outside! No seriously, by the time we reached Leavenworth we'd watched our car thermometer hit 6 degrees, then bounce up a degree or two till we reached a balmy 12 degrees.

Once there we discovered the sledding hill. Poor Owen, he must think his parents are crazy. We stuffed him in so many layers he couldn't move, bounced him around the frozen icy streets in his stroller, then made him sit on his Dad's lap to slide down a slippery slope. We sure had fun despite the fact that his facial expressions clearly stated he was unimpressed with our zealous glee in the simplicity of sledding. We can't wait for the years to come when he will actually think we are cool for wanting to push him down a snowy hill.

Galen and the slushy river

Winterscape

I think I'll have...

Still smiling even after all the crazy things we made him do
in the freezing cold!

Owen's 1st Christmas

2011-01-02T20:21:00.000-08:00

I don't know who has more fun on Christmas, the children or the adults who watch the children.
I'm sure this year we had more fun than Owen did since he really had no idea what was going on.
Filled with family, food, fun and reflection Christmas is always a wonderful holiday for us.
However, one of my favorite parts of our celebration this year was looking at that
extra twinkle in everyone's eyes as we proceeded with long-standing traditions. Owen is the first grandchild/great-grandchild on my side of the family and the renewed excitement in gift giving was evident.
Having a baby around seems to bring out the kid in everyone...it's infectious.

I find myself at the end of the holiday hubbub filled with gratitude for my family, for their generosity in loving our little boy, and for the most wonderful gift the Lord has given us this year in Owen. We are so blessed.

Christmas Eve- Owen's 1st present. He would not let go of this ball for the next two days.

Christmas jammies with the cousins...soo tired.

Opening Owen's stocking...

Matching red flannel shirts with Uncle Elias.

Christmas Trucks

2010-12-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

Owen was introduced to his first toy truck this past week thanks to his
Great Nana. It was a hit! What may have been even more enjoyable after they were opened was watching these three sweet boys play with their new Christmas trucks.

One thing I absolutely love about our King side of the family gatherings
is watching our two sweet nephews, Jude and Levi, and Owen.
There is such a sweet innocence in which they embrace what have become
beloved and longstanding traditions in the family.
Presents are met with squeals of joy, Christmas goodies are looked at longingly and drooled over,
the beauty of the Christmas tree is mesmerizing. They bring such life to everything we do
and are three of the gifts I am daily grateful for.

Levi

Jude

Santa Baby

2010-12-13T10:21:00.000-08:00

Owen meets the true meaning for Christmas...and then promptly stuck him in his mouth.

Plop this kid in front of the sparkling tree and he's happy as a clam.

Owen is a child of many hats. I love them all!

Current stats: 20 lbs according to my scale at home.
He makes faces when his food is warm, apparently he prefers it cold, and is
eating: Lentils, avocado, squash, sweet potatoe, bananas, apple sauce, cauliflower,
pears, prunes, blueberries, rice cereal, peas and green beans.

He recently learned how to pick food up and put it in his mouth.

He loves to mimic our talking and will often say "da da" on command,
although we know he has no idea what that means.
He is addicted to his socks and they no longer stay on his feet.
He would much rather play with things that are not toys and his
Current favorites are measuring cups and tupperware lids.

We are excited to celebrate our first Christmas together although
I really shouldn't have bought him anything and instead just gave him
balls of wrapping paper.

First Snow

2010-11-21T16:07:00.000-08:00

The ground is turning white.
The air is crisp and cold.
The trees are sparkling bright.
My heart is oh so full.

Two hours later:
No more Snow
Cloudy skies
Still freezing
Snow in Seattle is oh so fleeting

Delicious Soup...

2010-11-18T13:04:00.001-08:00

Yes...you can believe your eyes. A post that is not entirely devoted to my darling son and all the in's and outs of what's going on in his life. Although really, this post is a result of him.

Anyways, one of the things I have been able to enjoy again since my new job of caring for Owen began, is cooking. Before May of this year, working full time and being pregnant resulted in some not-so-creative months of cooking and a very repetitious menu. Since his birth, I have found it nearly impossible to cook the same thing twice with the exception of some family favorites. The very thought of using the same recipe within two weeks of a each other reduces my appetite to zero and my enthusiasm for cooking wanes.

So, I thought I'd share a recipe for a delicious fall soup I made last night. I discovered it while perusing through the pages of a Cooking Light Nov 2010 magazine while on vacation at Heidi and Robins. Don't be scared off by the parsnip (you can always leave it out) because it is quick to make, tasty to the tongue, filling with out being too heavy and got rave reviews from the fam. The original recipe says it serves four so I doubled the broth, added a potato and think carrot would be a nice addition next time. Hope you try it out!

Chicken and Parsnip Soup

1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 Parsnip peeled and sliced diagonally
1 carrot peeled and sliced diagonally
3/4 C shallots finely chopped
1 (4oz) package of cremini mushrooms sliced
2 garlic cloves minced
2 1/2 C chicken or mushroom broth (I doubled this)
1 C water (I doubled this)
1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained
2 C shredded rotisserie chicken
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp thyme
2 T chopped parsley

Heat oil. Add parsnip, shallots, mushrooms and garlic and saute for 3 minutes.
Add broth and next 7 ingredients through thyme.
Bring to a boil and then simmer for about an hour.
Stir in parsley and serve.

Colorado: A world full of 1sts

2010-11-04T16:57:00.000-07:00

1st time wearing shades

1st time watching a movie

1st time going down a slide.

1st time summitting a mountain.

1st time wearing a costume.

1st time trick-or-treating.

1st time giving Mommy chocolate.

1st time in a swing.

1st time on a plane.

Aah to be a baby again experiencing a world full of firsts.

Budding Friendship

2010-11-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

This past week, Owen and I embarked on an adventure to Colorado, with Josh following for the weekend. The purpose of this excursion was for me to surprise my dearest friend Heidi by showing up at her surprise baby shower (more to come on this later), and for our sons to realize that, if their mothers have anything to do with it, they will some day be good friends. Tyson is a good 16 months older than Owen, so naturally he thought Owen was kind of boring to begin with, and Owen thought he could walk on water. However, after a day or two Tyson realized that Owen was kind of fun. He nicknamed him"Oh-no" (his attempt at saying Owen) and repeated the following phrase"Oh-no...sleeping?....sssh" any time Owen disappeared upstairs for a nap. Regardless of whether or not our boys do end up being great friends, I hope that both of them are blessed with at least one friend who is worth flying across several states to see.

Ceiling fans are like catnip to five month olds...

B.O.B buddies

Tyson attempting to push Owen

First movie night...Baby Einstein = awesome

First bath buddy

Pound it bro...

Dino and Superbaby

I probably have 20 pictures from the week with Owen simply staring at Tyson.
Like I said...pretty sure he thought Ty could walk on water.

Tyson taking Josh out while Owen
takes notes for the future.

B-A-N-A-N-A-S

2010-10-06T19:05:00.000-07:00

Owen has discovered food, or at least the idea of it. Meals have become a time of avoiding the feeling of his tiny little eyes boaring in to me as he wonders why he can't have some too. It is a silent plead coupled with strands of saliva dripping down his chin and shark attack like reflexes to anything that passes by his mouth which made me realize this boy might be ready for food. So, one week why of turning 5 months Owen had his first taste of "solid foods." I don't know that you can qualify mashed to death bananas mixed with breast milk solid but regardless it is his first introduction to food. I was fully prepared for the scrunched up face and projectile tongue reacting to the foreign taste and texture in his mouth as he became acquainted with the banana mush; however, he simply swished it around, drooled a bit down his chin, and opened his mouth for more. Another step in parenthood for me and another step towards childhood for him...oh boy!

Owen Lately

2010-10-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

Owen lately...
has been enjoying living with his Carlson Grandparents
and two of his fabulous Carlson Uncles (Clark and Galen).
He has been trying so hard to roll from his back to his tummy.
He has discovered that he has an opinion
and is not afraid to vocalize it.
Food is beginning to look delicious.
Owen lately continues to bring a smile to my face and
a song to my heart.
Thank you Lord for my precious boy.

4 months

2010-09-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

I think every month with Owen is my favorite month for different reasons but 4 months seems to be Owen's favorite so far. Those unruly hands are finally being tamed, his fingers are becoming useful besides just grasping at things with an iron fist, and he's discovering that his body can do more than just lying there like a cute pudgy vegetable. While I am enjoying watching the daily developments take place, I also watch them with a certain amount of trepidation, for sooner than I would care to admit he will be moving, which means my life as I know it truly will be over.

Stats: 16lbs (he has turned in to a chunk!) and 26.25 inches long!

This hat was made for my older brother by my Mom's great aunt!

Owen locked in on the sea lions...he just stared and stared at them.

'
Blue Steel

The Next Michael Phelps!

2010-09-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

Last week we went on a mini-vacation with my family in Newport Oregon. The Condo we stayed at had the most delightful pool that was warmed to a lovely bath water temperature. Owen LOVED swimming! He had a blast kicking his little legs and each time we went seemed like he could have stayed there all day, lasting over an hour in the water! Even the splashes from his uncles and his first time being dunked underwater didn't seem to phase this little fish. He was in the water and in heaven!

Swimming with Uncle Jo Jo

Kicking around with Papi

Hold your breath Uncle Clark!

Aaah this is the life

I see you Grandma Vicki

Just relaxing in the pool

Sister

2010-08-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

I am the only girl in the midst of 4 amazing brothers. Naturally, while growing up, the one thing my heart always longed for was a sister. To me, a sister would be someone I could share the load of taking care of these crazy brothers with, someone I could day dream with, share interests, clothes and being pretty with. At some point, I realized what a blessing being the only girl in my immediate family was and that the status came with certain perks (i.e. not having to share a room and missing out on the "fun" fighting years most sisters seem to go through.) However, even as I came to realize how wonderful my brothers were, I don't think my heart ever stopped really wishing for a sister.

Then came the summer of 2001.

That summer, I began to fall in love with a certain boy named Josh King while we were leaders for our church's Junior High summer camp. Along with his stunning looks and awesome personality, he had another perk- two sisters! It was at this camp, that I began to taste what having a sister is like through my budding relationship with his youngest sister Chelsea.

Fast forward several years to present day and my beautiful younger sister-in-law, Chelsea, became a wife on August 21st. I had the extreme honor of being a bridesmaid in her wedding which caused me to stop and reflect on who she is and what an immense blessing she has been in my life. At her rehersal dinner, I wanted to make a toast, but the words wouldn't formulate fast enough for me to stand and say them before the moment had passed. So, here's my opportunity:

Chelsea, you were the first taste of a sister in my life. I think back to the early years my relationship with Josh in which you and I made countless batches of cookies together, had little movie dates, and engaged in heartfelt sisterly conversations. Those moments were precious to me not only because I was gaining a sister but because I was able to experience the joy of family with a girl!
As the years have gone on, I have loved watching you flourish in to a beautiful woman. I have seen such immense growth in you. You are a woman of action and boldness who will work hard to achieve a goal set before you. You are a woman of grace, extending forgiveness and support even when it is deemed unwarrented. You are beautiful, which comes not only from your natural good looks (he he) but from your groundedness in who you are as a woman of God. You are goofy and playful, in a way that lets you laugh at yourself and provides others with the freedom to set aside the facade of adulthood and revel in good humor and fun. I am so happy that you have found a man who appreciates and values all of these qualities about you. Nathan is an extremely blessed man to have you for his wife. Speaking of Nathan, thanks for picking out someone I can consider a brother :). I love you and look forward to sharing more of life with you as you become a wife and hopefully some day a mother.

My beautiful sister-in-law, Chelsea (now) Pogue

Writing her vows

Before she became a beautiful bride ;)

Adventures of an almost three month old

2010-08-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

Things an almost three month old enjoys:

Tummy time that doesn't result in falling asleep.

Chubby little hands

Reading books...ok not quite.

Conquering of the hands...mastered the left, still working on the right.

Beating up my Cousin Levi with the help of my awesome Aunt Casey

Going on a ferry boat ride with Mom, Pop and Grammi

Blowing bubbles and drooling of course

All of that makes me tired...might as well sleep with my poto in the air.

Little Si

2010-07-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

Hiking is a fond childhood memory I hold. I remember scampering up hillsides with my brothers, marveling at huge trees, delicate wild flowers and the beginnings of a longstanding family tradition of head dunking in icy mountain streams. Fortunately, I married a man who loves the outdoors. So, last Saturday we embarked on our first little family hiking excursion. Choosing the right hike was a bit of a challenge as we had to take in to consideration the challenges of packing an infant on your chest up a steep hillside and of course the every 2-3 hour hunger pains Owen was bound to feel. With all that in mind, our first stop was Snoqualmie falls. This beautiful spot is a mere 25 minutes from us and sadly neither of us have ever hiked to the bottom of the canyon before. Little did we know, the trail is closed for the next three years...guess it would have helped to know that before driving out there. So, we popped in to the gift shop, stole a glance in their "hiking with kids" book and found our next destination: Little Si.

Snoqualmie Falls

With determination in our eyes, warm sun on our shoulders, and a content Owen strapped to me we began the trek up the side of Little Si. Now, I've been pretty good about getting back in to a work out routine since Owen's birth but somehow free weights and elliptical machines can't compare to carrying a 12lb baby up the side of a mountain. So, in the moments where my lungs screamed "Darn you for forgetting your inhaler" I reminded myself that there are families with 6 year olds coming back down the mountain and I have 20 years of learned determination on them I should be able to make it to the top! So between that and daydreaming about doing this all over again when Owen is old enough to hike himself, we made it and what a beautiful sight it was!

The place

2010-07-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Owen,

Two weekends ago we took you to Winthrop for the first time. You were 8 weeks old and I sat on the couch and told you about how this cabin is every little boys wonderland. It is a place where you will have grand adventures of exploration in the wilderness. You will learn about snakes, lizards, bugs and fish. You will come to respect the beauty, power and peace found in nature which is nourishment to the soul, especially to a boy's. You will bond with the men in your life as they teach you all the wonderful things there is to know about fishing, hiking, hunting and making spectacular fires on which I will enjoy roasting smore's. I can't wait to watch you explore, grow and learn about the wonders this place holds. But till you are big enough to experience them yourself, here is a smattering of images of the things that await you.

You will find snakes galore. Daddy and your uncles are commissioned to teach you the ones you can catch and the one's you run away from. As you will learn, catching wild things often results in biting.

You will be awed by these hills and mountains and will spend countless days and hours exploring them.

You will come to love the freezing waters of the Lost River. Papi will pass down his wisdom as to how best to ford the rushing waters. Daddy, your Uncles and Papi will teach you how to fish these rivers with it's sparkling pools and running rapids. I have no doubt you will become a mighty fisherman.

But for now you are tiny, so I will soak up the moments of you sitting on our laps as we tell you of what's to come.

The face of a baby...

2010-07-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

Apparently when looking at a baby one must make this classic face: big wide eyes with a slightly puckered and open mouth. Most likely this face will also be accompanied by cooing or some other ridiculous noise. I have fallen victim to this particular face myself many a time in hopes of eliciting expression from Owen. After documenting Father's Day I realized that almost every person I took a picture of ended up making this particular face as well. Oh the things we do to connect with these tiny little people.

Running the Race

2010-06-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago my sister-in-laws husband, Micah, heard those dreaded words "You have cancer." A man in his early 20s he wasn't supposed to hear those words, nor have the need for life-saving medical treatment, or wonder "will I beat it?" But he did. Ten years ago we were not a part of his journey; however, 10 years later we have the immense joy of celebrating Micah's life and health with him.

Micah is a wonderful man. He is steady and thorough. He has a bright mind that thinks deeply and loves knowledge. If you look at his bookshelf, you will not be staring at the titles of fluffy novels but rather books about how to love God, to love your family and how to be a leader. He is someone who strives for personal growth so that he can in turn pour in to others.

One handy thing about Micah is that he is a researcher. If you don't have the time or energy to sort through all the options Micah is your go to man, he will sift through the junk and present you with the gold. I think he gets a rush from finding the best product at the best price and being a person who loves a good deal for a quality item, I appreciate this skill Micah has refined.

Finally, Micah is a great Father and a strong role-model to his sons of what it means to love and care for his family and wife. Because he beat cancer I now have two beautiful nephews. Jude and Levi are built like tanks and each have such wonderful personalities. We like to joke that Owen will have to learn how to run fast to avoid becoming an "Owen-sandwich" between the Stroh boys. One thing I respect him for is how intentional he is with Casey, my sister-in-law. Not a week goes by that he doesn't stop and take her out. The dates are not always glamorous but they don't need to be he is giving her the opportunity to be refreshed and to reconnect.

Levi - Seven months and teething

Jude sitting on Micah's Dad's shoulders looking for Micah to run by.

In celebration of Micah's 10 year cancer free anniversary, Josh joined him in a 10k run this last weekend in Seattle...perhaps next year Owen and I will join in on the running fun. But either way, I am excited for the years ahead as our families grow, thankful that Micah is here.

Josh (the one in yellow) nearing the finish line.

Micah finishing strong!

Brother-in-laws

Owen dreaming of cheering on his Daddy and Uncle Micah to the finish line.

Day at the Cabin

2010-06-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

This weekend (June 12-13) was beautiful in Seattle. When such marvelous weather occurs there is no question as to what to do being outside is simply a must. So after a rousing World Cup Party cheering on the USA to their tie with England we packed up and headed off to the King family cabin on Lake Rosiger. It was a lovely afternoon of sitting on the dock soaking up the rays coupled with the challenge of keeping Owen cool with out getting a sun burn! My doc sitting sun soaking days are numbered I'm afraid, before I know it this little man will have me chasing him around as he explores the wonders of the cabin on the lake.

Owen's first time fishing...never too early to start a King boy fishing!

Another fisherman in the making...

Every once in awhile there is evidence that I exist too!

Owen is five weeks old!

Fishing is hard work, time for a snuggle with Grammi.

Faux hawks and Superman

2010-06-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

Meet Owen. He is three and a half weeks old. He is mellow and sweet, content to cuddle to sleep on our chests or simply examine the world from the perch of his jungle themed swing. He has two cries: "Feed me now!" and "I am cold so put a diaper back on me!"Don't worry, we know we are spoiled that he only chooses to express himself through crying in those two instances and are completely aware that this may not last. Otherwise he vocalizes himself through growling (I fear for my breasts sometimes as he goes to latch-on), singing in contentment which usually happens when he is falling asleep, or a gentle whimper when he is uncomfortable.

Peacefully sleeping

Those stupid hands always wake me up!

Classic Owen face

Beyond his great little personality Owen has some distinctly cute physical features. He has bright inquisitive eyes which he will skeptically look at the world through one at a time as we wakes up. If he happens to make eye contact with you as he's waking up, one eye at a time, he will often slowly re-close it with an air that seems to say "I'm not so sure about you." He has a great head of hair (apparently he did not inherit my hair gene since I was bald for quite some time) so much so that he could almost use a hair cut already! He has long legs, taking after his Papi (my Dad - David Carlson), which results in high-water pants since his little waist is too skinny for the next size up. Finally, he has a bright red birth mark on his left palm which we have fondly re-named his Superman Stamp.

Bright Eyes

All these things together only give a slight glimpse as to who Owen is. It's impossible to adequately capture all the intricacies of his little person. But it's fun to step back and realize that Josh and I can already identify so many unique things about him. I just keep thinking how blessed we are to have him in our lives.

Owen's great hair...he's already got a faux hawk

We are working on his blue steel face.

His Superman Stamp

Note the high-water pants.

Bath Time

2010-05-19T20:57:00.001-07:00

Bath time in a baby's life is either heaven or hell, I think. For Owen, it is heaven. For us it's heaven as well as he becomes even more relaxed than he already is, we get to breath in that sweet clean baby smell, and we chuckle at how funny his poofy hair looks. Aah the simple pleasures of new life.

Owen enjoying the sweet life.

This picture doesn't really do it justice, but his hair gets so fluffy after a bath it looks as if he has a bad toupee.

Owen David King

2010-05-18T15:43:00.000-07:00

Owen is a week and a half today. Life is good and full with him in our home and I am stealing these moments to reflect on his birth while he is sleeping on his Daddy's chest before the memories begin to fade. I could sit here and write a blow-by-blow of May 8th, the day which both Josh and I agree is the best day of our lives, but I feel it too mechanical when there was more to Owen's birth for me than simply how long it took me to get to 10 centimeters and how long I pushed. So instead, I offer a few threads of emotion that enveloped that crazy wonderful day.

GRATITUDE:

The first thing that comes to my mind is gratitude. As many of you know, Owen is a miracle. I know, I know, every child is a miracle. But his very existence is a blessing to us as God graciously healed my body and enabled me to get pregnant. He is the fulfillment of our heart's desire and we chose to reflect that in the meaning of his name "Beloved and Desire Born." I remember a moment as I gazed out the window, focused on breathing through contractions, where my eyes filled with tears as I realized how the Lord was continuing to fulfill all of my hearts desires even up to the moment he arrived. My pregnancy had been a dream, my labor was progressing with ease, I didn't experience any back labor, I was surrounded through the whole labor process by my loved ones, Owen came early enough that the threat of my Dad and best friend Heidi missing his birth would not be an issue, and in the end I achieved my goal of going through labor natural. All of these things were reasons for me to be grateful.

Naturally one must update Facebook during labor... and the view out our window that got me through the first stage of labor.

Labor Progress

JOY:
Joy is another emotion that most people experience the day a child is born. When thinking about labor in the days and weeks before my impending due date, if you had asked me if I thought joy and laughter would have been a part of my labor experience I probably would have responded by saying that joy would be at the beginning and end of the process but not in the middle. I was wrong. I remember joking and laughing at things Josh would say, cracking up as he played a cruel joke and took his "bundle of joy" (a wadded up sheet) out to expectant family in the hall, or playful teasing my sister-in-laws as they saw me in all my shining glory. That joy lasted till the final hour of transitional labor (i.e. once I reached 9 cms) but returned an hour and 14 minutes later when I held Owen in my arms for the first time.

Determination

I would be lying if I said that my labor was all smiles and gratitude. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. It's not that labor was so painful that I couldn't bear it, or that I got to a point where I decided I truly was crazy for not wanting an epidural. It was more the challenge of maintaining that mental determination and resolve to see the process through to the end coupled with the physical discomfort that was the hardest. Before my labor I found this verse in Isaiah 50 which says: "Therefore, I have set my face like a stone determined to do His will." It was this verse that carried me through those tough moments for I had set my mind to the task at hand in order to successfully move beyond the physical discomfort I experienced. It was not easy. I remember looking over at my Mom and saying " I don't like this part" as the nurse continued to tell me that I needed to fight the urge to push by simply blowing through the contraction with shallow breaths in order to allow my body the time to fully dilate from 9 cm to 10 cms. In the moment it sucked, it was uncomfortable and I wanted it to be over with but I also knew that if I could just hold on he was coming. And he did. Owen David King was born May 8th, 2010 at 1:57 p.m. weighing in at 7lbs 8 oz and 21 inches long. My little man was finally here. My determination had paid off and I had everything I wanted and more.

Weekend Away

2010-04-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had the delightful opportunity of going to the beautiful and picturesque Washington coast with our good friends Steven and Dora Pyke. It was a spontaneous trip. One put together in a few hours in the middle of a beautiful Friday afternoon as we all dreamed of the clock striking 5:00. After some frantic packing and organizing amongst ourselves we piled in to our car and set off for Pacific Beach. What a glorious weekend it was, filled with long walks, clear skies, a balmy 65 degrees and no wind (pretty much unheard of for the Washington Coast). We soaked it up, knowing that this was probably the last time we would get away with such ease of spontaneity and with out thinking about our child.

The saga of the sea kelp and a man always ends in feats of whipping strength.

Dora and I reminisced of our child-hoods and the grand adventures beaches always held for us and our brother siblings. One such memory was the destruction of "sand cliffs." Technique: Stand slightly back from the sand precipice. Next stamp one foot firmly several times noting as a crack forms in the sands surface in front of your toes. Finally ooh and aah as you watch the resulting sand cliff fall in to the waiting stream below. (I think we could have done this for quite some time with out the fascination wearing off.)

Our car found a sweet parking spot on the beach...we later found the final touch to a perfect day- ice cream cones!

(Me at 36 weeks)

Getting Ready

2010-04-06T17:41:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't noticed....May is just around the corner. This simple fact means that Josh and I are going to be parents- an exciting and daunting occasion all wrapped up in one, possibly two, days of hard work. I'm sure that every couple goes through the stage of getting ready to bring the baby home differently, but I can't help but think that there are some similarities across the board.

1) First off there is the learning phase as each partner learns about the intricacies, joys and discomforts of pregnancy. Boys learn to sleep in a bed with various "sleeping support" pillows that encroach on "their" side of the bed as their poor wife tries to get comfortable. Girls learn that the pregnancy glow doesn't come until about half way through your pregnancy and that their body will go through more changes than they thought humanly possible.

Within this learning phase falls the category of Labor and Birth Classes. I personally think every couple should go through this not onaly because it helps you to feel prepared but also because it's probably the only time you will ever laugh about labor. Josh and I just finished our two-Saturday seminar last week with my fabulous mother as our teacher. On the one hand, I think it helped us both get a better grasp of the challenge before us. But more importantly, it gave my ever-so-funny husband a chance to crack all those jokes stored up in his brain about breathing and labor positions before we get to the actual day which I think will preserve him from loss of life and limb.

2) I think most mothers must go through an irrational dream phase. I have heard multiple women tell me that they have the craziest and most vivid dreams during pregnancy. Two dreams in particular stand out to me. The first was in regards to naming our child. We have decided, much to Josh's chagrine at times, to keep the name a secret. I had one dream where our baby was born and we named him "Tyson" (which just so happens to be the name of my best friends 1 year old). However, even as I introduced people to my newborn son I would tell them that this was not in fact his real name, it was just one we were using for the time being. Apparently, my subconscious was bothered at the time that we had not chosen a name for baby King.

The second dream I have is re-occuring. The dream itself is not usually that eventful, except for one minor detail...I forget to feed the baby! Usually this dream is just a day in the life of the Kings. I go through the whole day toting my infant along through the various activities of the day and at some point I stop and realize that I have only fed him once or twice! The only thing that reassures me that I'm not a total failure as a mother is that baby King is a little angel, he does not cry or fuss even though his horrid mother has neglected him of sustanance! Apparently I'm a little worried about the whole breast-feeding thing.

3) Finally, I think every couple probably freaks out for a moment now and then that they will not be ready for the baby to come. I experienced that this week. Despite my best efforts to maintain the mentality that I will be prepared to be over-due, I somehow find myself surrounded by people who are sure I will not make it to my due date. At this point, 35 weeks is still too early for this little man to come. But, for a moment yesterday afternoon I got a tish-bit panicky that he might come early and that I wouldn't be ready because I had left all my preparation time till my maternity leave in two weeks. So, I promptly ran to Target and bought a package of diapers, a nursing-tank top, and some new born sized pants (the one thing missing in his tiny little wardrobe). My irrational fear appeased, I expressed to Josh what had just happened and decided that we will now be fine if he decides to come early...although in all reality we would have been just fine before those purchases.

Me and Baby King at 35 Weeks

Sock Monkey (made by Jude and Levi's Grandma)

Fuzzy Friends

Little Man's crib awaits him!

Bright paper packages tied up with string...

2010-03-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was my first baby shower...which means that my long suppressed nesting urges are finally satisfied! I can organize and sort and then re-organize all those organized things to my hearts content. It may sound crazy but sadly true and extremely gratifying. Thanks to this baby shower my mind is now a whirl with how to most creatively and efficiently store all these fabulous gifts people have bestowed upon us. If money were no object, and my nesting urges were allowed to run free, this child's bedroom would probably have more baskets and storage containers than were necessary.

Anyway, Kathleen Woodward, Jen Loftus and Joanne Stewart were the fabulous hosts of this shower. I am grateful to these women and the support they have shown me, not only in this most exciting time of life as I enter into mom-hood, but over the course of my life. It was extra special to be sharing it with Kathleen and Jen who were my Senior High small group leaders back in my youth group days. Who would have thought all these years later they would be throwing me a baby shower? I'm grateful to have shared yet another momentous occasion with these two women who were such an important part of my growing up years.

The lovely shower throwing ladies and me :)

THE SPREAD:

Delicious doughnuts specially made with blue frosting.

These doughnuts were seriously amazing, hence the need for a picture of their own!

THE PRESENTS:

Josh's Aunt Lisa makes incredible baby blankets, burp cloths and bibs...I'm so lucky to have gotten some :)

Lots of cute tiny boy outfits...one of the highlights was a Sounders onesie!

Apparently I have a new "breast" friend and didn't even know it!

A Love Hate Relationship

2010-03-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

I love orchids. Yet we seem to have a bit of a love-hate relationship. My first one I received from Josh way back in our dating years...we jokingly called it our "love" orchid. When it comes to flowers, I like to think of myself as someone with a green thumb. For the most part, thanks to my gardening mother, I have learned the fine art of nuturing plants and am always awestruck by the beauty of flowers. Well...apparently those skills stop when it comes to orchids. I did everything in my power to make that little "love" orchid bloom. I took it to a Molbacks specialist, I bought special blossom encouraging fertilizer, I set it in a special tray so that it would have humidity...6 years later it had more leaves then it knew what to do with but never once did it bloom.

Orchid number two came from my mother-in-law two Christmases ago. She bought it with flowers as she knew that my hopes for the orchid Josh gave me were failing. At the time I was living with Casey who has successfully nurtured an orchid to reproduce flowers multiple times. I mirrored what she did, placing my orchid in the same window sill, watering my orchid when she did. Yet again...nothing but leaves...so it joined my "love" orchid on the leaf growing shelf.

For our anniversary this year, Josh surprised me with a new orchid as I had finally given in to despair and threw our first orchid away. This one came with blossoms! It was beautiful and I was hopeful since I knew that this one had the capability of producing flowers. I was careful to not over water it and marveled at the intense colors and delicate beauty of the flowers. Yet once again my efforts failed as a few months into my new orchid the flowers withered and the leaves started dying. (I did manage to save it from complete death, as it now sits in the window sill with two little leaves and my hopes that one day it will bloom again.)

Now we are present day. A new orchid from my dear brother, complete with 8 of the most beautiful white flowers and three promising buds. I am hopeful, or perhaps in denial, that this time will be different...that even once these flowers fade it will one day bloom again. However, just in case my orchid caring skills fail me once again I have documented the beauty of these delicate flowers. Oh little orchids, your beauty inspires me to keep trying even in the face of total defeat.

Dancing Man

2010-02-27T17:40:00.000-08:00

One of the things I miss the most about living in Nicaragua are the random happenings. It seems like every day in Nicaragua you encounter something that makes you laugh or scratch your head and say really? Therefore, in honor of this wonderful Nicaraguan attribute I thought I would share one of the best random moments we encountered last week in Nicaragua.

Nicaraguan Sister

2010-01-11T21:23:00.000-08:00

For the first time since we left Nicaragua over a year ago, one of our Nica family members has come to us! Ena is the pre-school teacher at Colegio Havila, the school we taught at for a year in 2008. She is up here in Seattle for two weeks learning the ways of Excel, practicing her English and learning the ropes of what taking responsibility for the Sponsor-a-Student program from the Nicaragua end will look like.

It was so wonderful to have a direct connection to the people we came to love while living there...not to mention that we had an entire evening speaking in Spanish! I don't think either of us knew just how much we have missed speaking daily in Spanish till we spent the evening doing so. It has also gotten us excited about our potential trip to visit in February at the beginning of the new Nica school year...more to come on that I'm sure.

A couple of my favorite moments with her were as follows:

-Picking her up for our dinner and telling her we need to stop by the grocery store. She promptly said to me, after I parked the car, "Mari Franci, can I stay in the car? There is so much rain and it's so cold!"

-At dinner we miraculously had some Coca-Cola in our fridge. If you ever spend any time in Nicaragua, you will quickly find out that Coca-Cola runs in Nicaraguan's blood. It is their drink of choice and is consumed at any hour in the day with gusto. As Josh excitedly offered some to Ena at dinner the conversation went something like this:
"Ena! We have Coca-Cola! Would you like some?"
"Noooo, Josh! It's too cold for Coca-Cola!"
"What?! But you love Coca-cola! You're Nicaraguan, how can you say no?"
"Josh, Coca-Cola is for when it is hot!"

She did however happily take some orange juice. Not sure how the two are that different but there is obviously a time and a place for Coca-cola and it is not in Seattle!

Ena, our dear Nica sister. Carrying on with the cold theme we took her to Coldstone at the mall. Josh was not thrilled about the idea of going to the mall, but Ena quickly put him in his place when she told him that she needed to see everything she could cause this could be the only time she ever comes to Seattle!

Ena and Me

I'm sure Ena is think to herself "Oh the crazy things the gringos make me do!

Numbered days

2010-01-11T20:30:00.000-08:00

Normally, I am not one to make New Year's resolutions. I generally find them tiresome and silly because it seems like everyone makes the same resolutions, sticks to them for the month of January, and when the dreariness of February sets in they are forgotten altogether.

This year is different. I've made a resolution that I only have to keep till May and I don't have to keep it by myself! The thought occurred to me the other day, that life as we know it has an end date to it! Our days are numbered, it's no longer just a saying, it's actually true! Josh and I have resolved together to take spontaneity by the horns and enjoy the simple things of life to the fullest before our son comes in to the world. Now, I'm not saying that we won't have fun with a child in tow. In fact, some things will become even more fun as we re-see the norm through fresh eyes. But....going to the movies, out to dinner, or popping over to hang out with friends will become more complicated. So while we eagerly look forward to meeting the wee-one, we are determined to also enjoy these last days as just the two of us.

So, this weekend we took advantage of a lovely warm winter weekend in Seattle and walked around Discovery Park with my brother and sister-in-law. Discovery Park holds a special spot in our hearts as it's the place where Josh proposed to me 4 years ago and it's just as beautiful as it was back then. The day was topped off by a gorgeous sunset on the Seattle waterfront as we waited for our table at the Old Spaghetti Factory.

Rain boots and puddles...a match made in heaven.

Elias and Theresa - Spontaneity partners in crime

Sister-in-law whom I love!

Spontaneity...check. Hanging out with people we love....check. Resolution accomplished once over.

Preggers and 2010

2010-01-06T20:07:00.000-08:00

2010 = Looking forward to a new adventure of becoming parents!

New Years was pretty low key for us this year. We spent it eating great food, watching awesome entertainment (Avatar for the boys, The Blindside for the girls) and watching Josh get super excited about seeing the fireworks exploding over the Space Needle from the comfort of our apartment patio. Okay, so our view of the Space Needle is pretty microscopic, but if you glance back and forth quickly enough from the real view to the view from the television you can almost mix the two up enough to trick yourself in to imaging the "real" view is pretty awesome! Here's to the New Year and all that it holds for us!

Oh the joys of awkward pregnancy pictures.

From highschool buddies to soon-to-be mommies!

Wee-One King

2009-12-26T10:08:00.001-08:00

We are having a boy! Holy Cow were we wrong! December 23rd was my 20 week appointment and both of us were so excited, not only to find out, but also to see just how much the wee-one has changed from the ultrasound at 8ish weeks. We both marveled as the tiny little legs and arms came into view and as we saw the ribs and spine. My Doctor kept saying "You take amazing pictures! She (the ultrasound tech) just got all the different views of the heart and brain so clearly!"

Spine and Ribs

Finally came the big reveal...It's a boy! My first response was one of shock but also pure excitement for Josh as he will have a little buddy to pass on the traditions of hunting, fishing, soccer and all things boy that he loves so dearly. Not to mention the fact that since Josh is the only King boy left, the pressure is now and forever taken off us in having to carry on the family name!

The other thing that has been interesting and amazing to me about discovering that our baby is a boy is the mental shift that comes in realizing what it is. On the one hand, I am excited to have a boy because I love boys. I grew up with four of them and there is a passion and energy for life that boys have that is simply refreshing. Not to mention the fact that our son will some day be an older brother, hopefully to a girl some day. I have an older brother, a wonderful and talented older brother, with whom I have had a very special relationship with for most of my life. My dream was always that one day, if I had the honor of having a daughter, she would be able to experience the same type of relationship that my older brother (and younger brothers) have shared. Now, that dream will hopefully become a reality.

Sucking his thumb

There was a part of me, just for a brief moment, that thought about the promises the Lord gave me before this pregnancy and wondered about the name and why I don't get to use it with this child. But immediately these two thoughts came to my mind: 1) The name is still a promise, one that gives hope for future children, knowing that one day I will meet the little girl this name is for. 2) The Lord has answered another desire of my heart in having this little baby be a boy in that he will be an older brother, will carry on the family name for the Kings, and will be someone with whom Josh can pour into. For all those reasons and more my heart rejoices in having a boy.

Our joy was multiplied even more as we shared the news with our parents and family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We went out and bought two onesies to wrap up for our parents to open in front of the fam. On Christmas Eve, my mom was so excited she dropped the box on the ground before she even knew what it was. When she pulled the navy blue onesie with Batman and the saying "Hanging with a Hero" on it, I think she too for a moment didn't believe we were having a boy...while she was hoping for a little femiminity she will be a wonderful grandma to a little boy, seeing she's already had so much practice with them!

What?! It's a boy!

Grammi to a superhero!

The onesie we found for Josh's family was perfect. If any of you know Josh, he has always been a HUGE fan of Superman. So we found the perfect little onesie with superman on it as we knew it would be the perfect hit with his family. Once again, our announcement was received with extreme joy and excitement and was only furthered as Josh's Mom gave us a gift of a Superman piggy bank she has had for quite some time waiting for us to have a son. Apparently, the wee-one is destined to a life of loving super heroes!

A World of Twinkling Beauty

2009-12-26T09:25:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night we partook in some of the fine sights of Christmas the greater Seattle area has to offer to carry on with the Christmas spirit. The Bellevue Botanical Gardens transforms in to a wonderland of flora and fauna re-created by thousands of twinkling lights. It was quite amazing to walk around and marvel at how distinctly the displays reflect the real thing!

Jack Frost Nipping - 18 Weeks

2009-12-07T20:01:00.000-08:00

I am 18 weeks which translates into 2 more weeks till we finally find out what the "wee-one" (our term of endearment) is! I have really started to feel the baby moving in the last week. I think I've actually been feeling it for the past couple of weeks, but didn't want to label it as such since what do I know? I've never been pregnant before. Its is really like nothing you've experienced before realizing and feeling that what is inside of you has grown enough to make such a physical impact...and the movement is just beginning!

Oh Christmas Tree

2009-11-29T20:40:00.000-08:00

For the first time in our nearly four years of marriage, Josh and I are celebrating with a Christmas tree of our very own! Over the past four years, December has been the time of change in our life, whether it was moving home from school or to another country we seem to have always managed to NOT be in our own place for the Christmas season. I, therefore, was very excited when we woke up on Saturday morning and set off on the grand adventure of finding the perfect tree to grace our apartment with. However, no one told us how inexperienced we would feel or how challenging it could be to find that elusive Christmas tree. We forgot the tarp to put on the top of the car (at least we remembered rope to the tie the tree down with), and then, when wandering through the seemingly endless rows of perfect trees we realized that eventually WE would have to make a decision. There were no parents to veto our choice of a tree nor to advise that this tree was to bushy or that tree would be too tall, and I must admit, we were both a bit worried that we'd end up with the "wrong" tree. Fortunately we did not, so after about an hour of wandering the lot with my brothers and good friends the Johnsons we committed to a tree, Josh put the saw to the stump, and at the cry of "Timber!" we had our very first Christmas tree.

The next round of inadequacy came for me when I stared at my naked tree all nicely propped up in its tree stand (after having been wrestled up three flights of stairs and squeezed through the doorway) and the three new boxes of Christmas lights lying on the floor beside it. I realized in that moment that my mother is the queen of lights and I had never bothered to take lessons on how one bestows those twinkling beauties on to the tree. Do you start at the top and go down? Or start at the bottom and go up? I went with the latter, 20 minutes later and utilization of my brothers hands, my Christmas tree was adorned with lights Mary Frances style. All that was left were the ornaments which, thanks to a long standing tradition between my brother Galen and I, I have quite the assortment of beautiful glistening globes. At last, we have our own tree, the beginnings of our own Christmas season, and our apartment will have that lovely Christmas-y glow for the next month. I love this time of year!

Take 2 - Levi James Stroh

2009-11-29T20:34:00.000-08:00

For some reason the pictures failed on my last post, so here are a few shots of the tiny little man.

Levi James Stroh - November 16th

2009-11-17T17:04:00.001-08:00

I witnessed a miracle on Monday when my newest nephew, Levi, joined us in the world. There really is no other word to describe him other than precious. Sure, that might be a cliche thing to say cause all babies are "precious."But take one look at his little round head, tiny cheeks, squinty dark eyes, buns like peaches, and fuzzy hair and you too won't be able to resist calling him...precious.

But more so than the miracle of life and the miracle that Casey achieved in pushing out that 9 lb baby drug free, was the distinct experience of seeing pain and joy mixed in such harmony. I personally did not experience the pain, perhaps those who were gripping Casey's hands as she pushed did, but it was written all over her face. I, on the other hand, got to experience the joy and pride part as I watched my sister do something incredibly brave, and as I saw Levi take his first breaths. But there was a moment, in the last seconds before Levi was fully out, that I saw it, that moment where the physical pain of having Levi almost there was intermixed with the extreme joy as Casey realized: He is here! It's an amazing and awe inspiring thing to witness as normally pain and joy don't often commune together so nicely. Made me stop and think, if only all things painful could be like that, hinging on the cusp of experiencing something joyful. Maybe they do we just don't always recognize it or have something so visible before us.

Anyway, it was an honor to be a part of Levi's beginning. I loved being able to capture those first sweet moments of his life on camera and hope they are a gift to the Stroh family for years to come. It felt a little surreal standing in that room thinking, the next time we are here, it will most likely be us. The next time we hold an hour old baby, it will probably be ours. The next time someone is being coached in breathing through contractions, it will likely be me. Now, watching Levi be born could have done one of two things to me: 1)make me want to run in terror or 2) inspire me to achieve the same feat. For me it was the latter, if anything I think it replaced the nerves with determination because I know, at the end of all that pain, there will be extreme joy....can't wait!

Through Smoke

2009-11-09T18:20:00.000-08:00

I have a friend. A dear friend, who has experienced a deep and cutting loss in her life. She is a strong friend who is learning what it means to heal in the face of incredible loss. We recently had a conversation about the point of prayer. Why do we pray if, when we think we need it most, it appears to go unanswered? Why do some prayers have answers and others don't? If you believe God's will is Sovereign do our prayers even have any affect? These are the questions we wrestled with and to which neither of us had many answers.

Then I heard the song below....

Through Smoke - NeedtoBreath

Before the truth will come to fill our eyes
The wool comes down in the form of fire
And when the answers and the truth have cut their ties
Will you still find me
Will you still see me through smoke, through smoke

I was born in a house in a town just like your own
I was raised to believe in the power of the unknown
'Cause when the answers and the truth take different sides

Will you still find me
Will you still see me through smoke
Through smoke (x3)

When their whispers have painted pictures that
Make you doubt what you once believed in
Paper stories that hide the glory
To keep us searching
Through smoke

Who do you believe when you can't get through (through smoke)
When everything you know seems so untrue (through smoke)
When I'm lost in a place that I thought I knew (through smoke)
Give me some way that I might find you (through smoke)

Who do you believe (through smoke)
Everything you know
When I'm lost in a place (through smoke)
Give me some way

It made me think...sometimes those hard and devastating situations are the smoke and what God asks of us is that we still search for Him...even if we have no answers. Prayer is often the medium for those times in which we search blindly, feeling with hands outstretched before us as our eyes are choked by tears from the stinging smoke. And once we find Him behind the smoke, we will have the hope and endurance needed when the skies get hazy, the air gets heavy, and we can't see yet again.

Nicaragua and the Baby Bump

2009-11-07T09:43:00.001-08:00

Last night, amidst the freezing cold and blustering rain, we celebrated Nicaragua with over 100 people. Over five years ago, Northshore Baptist embarked on a partnership with Los Cedros, Nicaragua that would change the hearts of many people, both here in the US and there in Nicaragua. Last night was a celebration of that adventure, reflection on the amazing things God has done, and an opportunity to look forward to what is to come. Besides providing an opportunity for people to learn more about what is going on in Los Cedros, Nicaragua it was also a benefit dinner as we (the Unidos board) are trying to raise the last $10,000 needed to complete a computer lab at the school Josh and I worked at last year. Right now there are five barely functioning computers the kids are trying to learn basic computer skills on. I say barely functioning because you can imagine what wind, dust, humidity and dirty little hands will do to 10 year old computers. The dream, a sealed building with AC and 24 brand spanking new computers. One of the awesome opportunities that the school has once this computer lab opens, besides training the students and teachers, is a partnership with INATEC (a Nicaraguan adult skills training organization). INATEC is hoping to lease this lab back from the school in order to provide the adults in the community computer classes. But beyond the fundraising side of the night, we also got to see the website Josh has helped design for the overall Nicaragua project (hence the picture above). I am slightly biased, but I think he and the other guy working on it did a pretty sweet job...go check it out at www.unidosnicaragua.org.

Yesterday also marked the debut of the baby bump! I am one day away from officially being in my second trimester. For those of you who don't know baby lingo, that's 14 weeks or three months and one week which also means the baby is now about the size of a lemon. I think I've finally passed the "Are you pregnant or just fat?" stage, praise the Lord! Although, since there is a possibility that I will be heading off on a short trip to Nicaragua to help with a project at the school for the Sponsor-A-Student program. If that happens, I am fully prepared for the "Profesora, you look fat!" comments I will most undoubtedly receive....aah cultural differences you make me laugh.

Well that's it for now!

Halloween

2009-11-07T09:09:00.000-08:00

Last year we spent Halloween in Nicaragua, with a bunch of new found friends, and very little resources for costumes. We went as tourists, which felt at times not far from the truth. This year, we went as nerds and probably some of the ugliest nerds you'll ever see.

Just wait....it gets better once I put my teeth in:

I have never received so many interesting responses to my looks before. There was one man, whom we did not know, who followed us around for about five minutes at Northshore's Harvest Carnival. He took pictures and continually expressed how next year he and his wife would do something like this.."I could totally do this" he kept saying. Then there was Brendan, my husbands best friend and one of my favorite people. When he first saw me he gave me a hug, till I backed up and he viewed the full grandeur of my costume. He quickly started backing away from me saying..."Woah, woah, Mary Frances...you look...REALLY ugly!" I don't think he quite knew what to do with me, eventually he came around. Then there were two more random guys who responded in a similar way. One said "Wow! I need a picture of that!" I don't think I have ever had my picture taken by so many people I don't know before.

But besides the horrifying experience of seeing me, there were the sweet costumes of some of my favorite little people....

Natalie the duck, complete with a cute little waddle that made her padded butt go back and forth.

Droopy cheeks Jackson, who must have just been boiling in his little puppy costume...

and studly Jude, all decked out in his Seahawks costume complete with some shoulder pads.

Jude had a blast at the Harvest Carnival...he got to do all his favorite things, play with kids, with balls, with more balls, with trucks and cars, plus there was even a piece of candy for that carb loving tooth of his! The only part we're not so sure he liked is when Micah took him down the giant inflatable slide. He was very intrigued by it initially, till Micah got him to the top and he realized he had to go down the slippery yellow precipe....belly down seemed to do the trick!

After a great evening with the fam, we moved on to Brendan's Halloween Party. Steven Pyke had my favorite costume of the night...He was the shower from the Karate Kid. The only thing we all decided that would have made it better would have been if he'd had a bathrobe on instead of being fully dressed.

The Three Stooges (Josh, Steven and Brendan)

I think one of the funniest moments of the night was when the award for best costume was being handed out (which by the way we were in the top four). In the final rounds, the winner was being determined by clapping and cheering till it got to the final two: Barbie vs The Shower. I yelled out "Dance off, Dance off" till people joined in....I knew my team (aka Steven Pyke) would have the upper hand since I happen to know he has some pretty sweet dance moves for a red headed white boy. The crowd caught on, and soon the music was bumping and Steven was dancing circles around Barbie. Once she saw his moves, she gave up..plus, lets be honest, there really is nothing funnier than seeing a shower bobbing around the middle of the dance floor.

Sometimes I wish we could dress up more often...people just seem to be a bit more light hearted when pretending to be something they are not.

Barbie...the competition and Steven working his dancing magic.

Steven with his trophy...Brendan braving my glasses!

My Soul Sings

2009-09-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

My Soul sings...the chorus to one of my favorite songs (written by Delirious) and so often the description of my heart. My soul has begun a new song, one of thanksgiving and gratitude for what was taken away has been given back and what we thought could be impossible became possible. My only response is for my soul to sing to God for His faithfulness to heal and provide.
But let me tell you one of the reasons for why my soul sings.

About the time we got back from Nicaragua we decided it was time to take the plunge and go off birth control. Yikes! Scary step but one we felt ready for. We thought everything would go smoothly but apparently that was not to be the case. I had one cycle on my own and then normalcy stopped all together. At first we thought I was pregnant but several negative pregnancy tests determined I was not. Armed with optimism, I went to the doctor hoping that it was just because I had been on birth control for too long and my body needed more time to normalize on its own. Thus began my journey of staring one of my biggest fears in the face: infertility. After several trips to the doctor it was determined that I have Poly cystic Ovaries essentially classifying me as unable to get pregnant without the help of fertility medication.

Needless to say this news floored me. I have heard of people who have trouble getting pregnant or have infertility issues but never in a million years did I imagine that would be me. However, as I wrestled I experienced one of the most amazing journeys of my life.

To back up a little, the first month we went off of birth control I had a dream. One of those dreams that after you wake up you think to yourself was that really just a dream? The dream in itself was nothing particularly dramatic but the words that were spoken were clear as a bell. In this dream I was at a prayer meeting. (In my dream, and in real life, I had not told anyone we were going off birth control.) As we were praying every single person in the room spoke up saying to me "Mary Frances, God wants me to tell you that you don't need to be afraid, He will open your womb and you will get pregnant." When I woke up my first thought was it was just a dream, something my subconscious came up with since I was a little worried about the "what ifs" as we went off birth control. So, I let it go. But as time progressed and I started having problems the Lord reminded me of this dream, whispering to my heart that this was more than a dream, it was truth, a promise to hold on to.

Then in the spring I came upon a name that caught my interest. I am the kind of person who wants to name our child something unique but meaningful. I had never heard this particular name before and I tucked it away for that "some day" in the future. One day during a quite time in which I was wrestling with understanding what God was doing with my health, the name came back to me. I decided to look up what the name meant and as I did so another whisper to my heart..."This will be the name of your child". Once again, I hesitated thinking I might be making it up, that I was just being a silly girl who wants to have a baby. But then I read the meaning of the name: "The Lord has answered our prayers." I was hesitant to tell Josh about this at first, because I was afraid to hope, timid to call what I had discovered "from the Lord". But the more we talked about it, the more we came to realize that this name signified more than just the healing of my body, but also the perfect timing of God.

And so the journey continued. In May the official word came...I had PCOS and my worse nightmare had come true. Even though I had these two promises, I cannot pretend like I did not wrestle that there were not tear filled days as I looked at the potential loss of dreams. Yes people get pregnant all the time on fertility medication but I never imagined that that would be me, that there would be something physically wrong with me that would hinder me from having children. But as I cried I still felt sustained to believe that God would heal my body and we wouldn't have to use medication. So as we talked through options with my doctor, we decided that we would hold off on medication till the end of summer. If things had not changed we would revisit the conversation and start considering medicinal options.

We never got that far. Two months ago I experienced my first miracle as two pink lines showed up on the test. The Lord was once again true to His word, He has touched my body and enabled me to get pregnant!

Today I am a little over 8 weeks along, with a due date of May 10th. We got to see our little seahorse via ultrasound today in which we saw it's heart beating and its tiny little limb buds move. This last week I had been wrestling with fear, fear that this little baby was too good to be true, not wanting to get too attached to it in case it wasn't for real. But as I watched the screen portray this little gift, my soul sang once again.

Praise the Lord for His goodness to us.

Forming of a Fisherman

2009-09-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

If any of you reading this blog know my husband, one thing you will know about him is that he loves all things outdoors...particularly hunting and fishing. He gleaned this love from his Father who may love all things outdoors even more than Josh does. Therefore, to both these wonderful men it is necessary that this love be passed down to younger generations. There is no age requirement to begin cultivating this love of nature, dirt, sweat, gear, and wildlife. If you are of the male gender it is only natural that it begin when you are old enough to hold a pole in your hand. The only requirements are the following: 1) You understand a pole belongs in the hand and not in the water. 2) You can recognize that the magical hook on the end of the pole will eventually produce a fish. Apparently Jude has met these requirements for this weekend marked his introduction to fishing.

For about 20 minutes Jude sat in Pop's lap enraptured by the process which entailed throwing a yellow bobber with a wriggling worm on the end into the water, waiting for several minutes (in which Jude said Fiiishy! numerous times) till a flopping fish is pulled up to the dock. The first few times this occurred, Jude approached the fish with caution, until about the 5th time where he boldy grabbed the fish with his chubby little hand. At one point, Pop let Jude take the reigns. Understanding the concept that one must throw the line into the water in order to catch a fish, he proceeded to mimic that process Jude style, which entailed slapping the tip of the pole violently in the water all the while saying Fiiishy. Naturally this did not produce any wriggling fish on the end of his pole, but that it was it Jude was hooked.

Every good fisherman needs a takle box.

Waiting patiently for the fish to come.

We got one!

ffiiishy!

Jude and his 1st fish.

Chubby cheeks

Micah immitating Jude's life jacket chub.

Masked Fascination

Help! Help!

Blast to the Past

2009-09-08T22:05:00.001-07:00

After gallivanting in Winthrop for a better part of the weekend, we spent the last day of our glorious three day weekend up at Josh's parents cabin on Lake Roesiger in the much more local Monroe, WA. Although it was raining almost all day we had a blast enjoying the company of some of our favorite people: the Izzards and the Schweens.

Natalie Izzard

Tyson Schween (someone is teething if you can't tell by the hand in the mouth)

Jackson Izzard

We decided to be a little unconventional in some of our choices for conventional fun, i.e. board games and movies. Instead of playing something new and exciting like Settlers of Catan, Apples to Apples or Cranium, we played Scattergories. About two rounds into this delightful game we all realized how much brain power this game requires but how incredibly fun it is. We also decided to revisit our childhood and watch Free Willy (the original) on VHS. I don't even remember the last time I watched a VHS. We experienced things like having to wait for the tape to rewind, the pause button only pausing for so long till the machine gives up and lets the movie go on, and the amazing computer graphics of the 90s. All in all it was an awesome day soaking up good friendship, entirely too much food, and laughing at what used to be.

Ben and Josh braved the cool waters of the lake during the one sun break of the day.

Me and Squeakers (Tyson Schween)

Winthrop With the Bryans

2009-09-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

The view from above Harts Pass

We decided to take advantage of the long weekend to go on another trip across the mountain to our beloved Mazama/Winthrop. This time we had the pleasure of being accompanied by our dear friends Jonah and Sara Bryan, who are three weeks into their marriage. Jonah is like a brother, someone we have journeyed with through undergrad studies and beyond. We are so excited for he and Sara to join us in a new journey...that of being married. We had a great weekend spent hiking, chilling in the cabin, and exploring the quaintness of Winthrop.

Jonah and Josh taking in the view.

Mountain Blue Bell

My Mountain Man

View of the Mazama Valley

Jonah and the Giant Peach (seriously that sucker was over a pound!)

Ode to Casey's Garden

2009-09-08T21:32:00.000-07:00

I love love love the camera Josh got me for my birthday back in June. As I have been acquainting myself with the inner workings of the not so automatic options of this camera, my dear sister-in-laws garden became the object of my attempts at manipulating the aperture. So good job Casey! Your produce is tasty (minus that one cucumber we had earlier this summer) and quite photogenic. Not to mention you have the cutest farmer helper (Jude) ever!

Fire Trucks and Lyrics

2009-08-23T16:31:00.000-07:00

Phil Stacey - You're not Shaken

I am sinking in a river that is raging I am drowning,
will I ever rise to breathe againI want to know why
I just want to understand

Will I ever know why
How could this be from Your hand
When every little thing that I have dreamed would be
Just slips away like water through my hand

And when it seems the walls of my belief are crashing down
Like they're all made of sand
I won't let go of You now, because I know You're not shaken

I'm trembling in the darkness of my own fear
All the questions with no answers still grip me while I'm here
And I may never know why I may not understand

But I will lift up my eyes
And trust this is Your plan
When I am in the valley of the shadow of death
You're not shaken, You're not shaken
You're right here beside me and
You have never left

Catharsis

2009-08-13T20:43:00.001-07:00

This week has been an interesting one. A week full of emotions I thought I had come to terms with all the while sprinkled with the excitement of beginning a new adventure of shopping for OUR first home. I must admit, I thought after coming home from Nicaragua that we would be at a different place than we are now. Nine months and I still feel like we are standing on the front porch knocking on the door, waiting to come inside. Or sometimes it feels like we are two kids who have worked hard to climb to the top of a steep hill and are at the pinnacle where the hard work turns into fun as you run carefree down the slope. I know that release is coming, I feel it brewing and I long for the day when I can feel the proverbial wind rushing through my hair and against my cheeks or feel the warm embrace of home. I will rejoice knowing that God has provided but while I wait I am grateful for His provision as 7 days out of 7 He has given me (and us) grace to rest in His timing. But sometimes, there are days where the unfulfilled weighs heavy on my heart. This is one of those weeks and I am wrestling to understand God's timing and His plan for dreams I feel He has given us.

So as I wrestle, my catharsis is food. Not in the sense of eating, but of making. I can see why Martha Stewart started out in the kitchen, while it can be tiring work, it is a rewarding, delicious and, to me, soothing process. This past Sunday, I revisited my childhood and tried my hand at a tradition we have in my family of making applesauce every August. Now, I have never attempted this feat with out the applesauce making pro who is my Mother, but I figured that I have done this enough times with her, that I should be able to succeed on my own. So, armed with the wisdom she passed down, I strapped on her trusted apron, pulled out the apple peeler/core-er (yes that is a word), canning pot, jars, lids and set my mind and hands to turning 20 lbs of apples into sweet and tangy applesauce. 4 hours later I found myself amidst a large mess, a warm bowl of fresh applesauce, and 8 perfectly sealed jars of my very own applesauce. Mission accomplished and catharsis achieved.

Apples vs. Jars who will win?

Looks like the jars did.

Aftermath of the apples meeting the apple pealer/core-er.

While waiting for my first batch I got distracted by my mom's beautiful garden.

Then back to the process...

Grind up the cooked apple mush, add the two other essential ingredients (sugar and cinnamon), bathe jars in a boiling hot bath, 20 minutes later you will have tasty applesauce to put in your pantry and save for those inevitable rainy days of winter, where a taste of summer goes a long ways.

Thank you Gravenstein apples for providing me an outlet to soothe a heart that is feeling a little weary.

Winthrop Weekend

2009-07-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

Mazama (Winthrop), the host of many of my childhood memories, our family's tiny cabin and the location of our weekend getaway to visit my younger brother Joseph. It may be a bit of a drive for a few short days of the weekend, but it is well worth it. As we wandered mountain streams, catching wild trout in glistening pools of crystal blue waters, hunkered down in the cabin weathering the summer thunder storms, and marveled at the beauty of new growth amidst the charred remains of a burnt forest I am reminded of how great our Creator is. What is barren He fills, what was destroyed He renews, what is pure and lovely He preserves. I come home refreshed, filled and eager to return to the beauty that is the Methow Valley.

Memories of things so familiar.

Here fishy fishy fishy.

On a summers day

2009-07-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

Josh and I have the pleasure of watching our nephew Jude once a week (one of the benefits of living with the Strohs) so that Casey and Micah can go on a date. This past nephew sitting session we decided to beat the heat by joining Elias and Theresa at Greenlake for an evening walk and ice cream cones. The sun was golden, the shores of Greenlake lined with people eager to take full advantage of this gorgeous Seattle summer. It is always fun to look at some place you have been so many times through the eager eyes of a 16 month old. Sand becomes less dirty and once more moldable into shapes and hills, water becomes enticing as you try and evade getting your toes wet as the water gently laps against the shore, and home doesn't seem quite so enticing as you try and make the last rays of sunshine keep going for a few more minutes. Aah the joys of youth.

Uncle Josh and Jude going for a walk. Jude splashing in the water, while Tia (mf) tries to keep him from falling in head first.

Beautiful beaches

2009-06-27T21:09:00.001-07:00

Sunshine in Seattle pretty much requires you spend your weekend outside. To begin the weekend, my mom, sister-in-law Theresa and myself found ourselves husband-less and son-less so we thought we'd take advantage of the opportunity and get together for a "Carlson girls" slumber party. We packed a picnic dinner and headed off to Edmonds beach. This particular beach, Theresa had never been to, but for mom and me holds many memories as we frequented this beautiful spot many a time during my growing up years. The beach has changed since I was last there but the memories still remain and it was delightful to make some new memories.

A creative attempt at getting a picture of all three of us at once (T and MF are in the reflection) Theresa and my mom before digging into our delicious salad picnic.

The Edmonds ferry.

The second beach of the weekend I took Jude to. Since Josh was still gone fishing, I babysat Jude so Casey and Micah could enjoy themselves at a friends wedding. So I decided to push Jude (literally and figuratively) on a long walk from our house in Juanita to the waterfront in down town Kirkland. If Jude could have had it his way, we would probably still be sitting on the beach throwing rocks into the water.

Spot of Joy

2009-06-24T22:31:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to my nephew Jude Thomas Stroh. He is a chunk. He loves to play with balls. He loves to chop food with his plastic knife. He loves trying to say words. Spinning is one of his new skills. Music makes him stop dead in his tracks till he starts bobbing his head to the beat. What a joy it is to live with him and I can still say that even after the fact that I've lost track of how many times he's woken us up in the night with his crying as his teeth come in. We love you buddy!

Jude Thomas Stroh - 15 months

Blowing Tia kisses (Tia is what he calls me, MF, Spanish for aunt)